Buhari, Tinubu Already Gave Me Their Blessing for Senate Presidency

Former Senate leader, Ali Ndume, said he is confident he will become the president of the ninth Senate come June.

It should be recalled that the All Progressives Congress (APC) already settled for Senator Ahmed Lawan as its chosen candidate for the upper chamber president, The Sun reports. 

Ndume said he is trusting on the support of his colleagues and party leaders of the ruling party as he added that he is not in the race to bargain for other juicy position.

The former Senate leader said this while speaking with newsmen in Lagos on Monday, May 6, and also mentioned how he already consulted with President Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other APC’s leaders for their blessings. 

He said nobody has ever approached him to withdraw from the race for anyone, citing that APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomole, already explained that Senator Lawan was just a preferred candidate of the part and not an imposition. “We have 109 senators and each of them has one vote. 

If you are contesting to be the Senate president, you have to reach out. But, at the beginning, I was cautious because I am a party man. So, when the party said ‘don’t go there, because if you do, you will be disciplined,’ I stayed back.

“But, the party came out again and said, ‘you can reach out to them now, and so, I reached out to them. So far, I thank God that the response I’m getting from my colleagues from the other party is very encouraging, same thing from my colleagues in APC. I’m in this race to win,” he said. 

He further said that he has all the contacts of the 109 senators-elect and that he has called them for support. “So, I’m talking to everybody. I have all the phone numbers of the 109 senators-elect and I call them. “I’ve written the party, indicating my intention to contest. 

Even my national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, publicly said they only recommended Lawan and are not stopping anybody from contesting for the position. “As I speak with you, nobody has consulted me to say, ‘don’t run for senate president’. Every senator-elect has the constitutional right to do that,” he said.

Meanwhile, it was earlier reported that the candidature of Senator Ndume for the presidency of the 9th Senate, on Sunday, May 5, got the blessings of Northeast Elders and Stakeholders Forum.

In endorsing Ndume for the position, the group stated that his credentials trounces that of all others vying for the position