Lawan, the senator representing Yobe North in the National Assembly on the
platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the decision known
when he addressed newsmen in Abuja.
He was present with ten other lawmakers-elect at the press briefing. The
senators-elect present were Ifeanyi Ubah, Sabi Abdullahi, Teslim Folarin,
Ahmed Kaita, Francis Alimikhena, Opeyemi Bamidele, Muhammed Isa, Ibrahim
Hassan Hadejia, Bello Mandiya and Abdullahi Gumel.
Speaking on his decision, Lawan, who has been a member of the National
Assembly since 1999, said: “APC senators in this respect are so critical
because that is our focus. But we will also reach out to other
senators-elect from other political parties. So, this is a representation.
This is not the number of senators that are supporting this cause. This is
just introducing ourselves to you”.
“It is very critical and crucial that we talk to our colleagues, convince
them that we are the right people to lead the Senate and the National
Assembly.
“We take nobody for granted. We believe that the crop of senators elected
this time will be such that can achieve much more in terms of uniting
ourselves and focusing on the real issues of development, of making
Nigerians experience very rapid and sustainable changes and
transformation. We are not in any way thinking that we will start having
some crisis. We are not even praying that that happens but our party, the
All Progressives Congress, must have learnt its lessons. Therefore, I am
sure the leadership of the party will do something differently.
“I am sure our leaders will try to manage this huge success of APC. and I
have no doubt that the party will find us compliant and very supportive of
the programmes of our party and our administration under the leadership of
President Muhammadu Buhari.”