One of the Nigerian lawmakers jostling for the seat of the Senate President in the 9th National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has refuted claims that Nigeria President, Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo were against his ambition.
“Personally, I’m a committed Buharist. Whether I become the Senate President or not, I will continue to stand by him, defend his policies because I see him as a mentor,” Ndume said in a statement.
“And I believe that Mr. President has nothing against my aspiration for the office of the Senate President because I sought his permission long before the general elections and he gave me go-ahead
“It was a misinformation. The truth is, it is usual for me to meet with the vice president to discuss issues of common interest, especially the humanitarian crisis in the North East, of which the vice president has shown exceptional interest in helping out.”
It was rumored that Osinbajo was asked Ndume to drop his bid to be Senate President when they met at the Presidential Villa, Abuja for Ahmed Lawan, who is touted as the party’s anointed candidate for the seat currently occupied by Bukola Saraki.
Ndume’s bid for the seat of Senate President has been criticised as going against the party’s wish by some of its members. His bid for the seat was recently opposed by his own “kinsman” and state governor, Kashim Shettima of Borno State.
However, Ndume, a former senate leader, is not giving up on his quest to be Nigeria’s Senate president in the 9th National Assembly.
While the tussle goes on, some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including Shettima, who opposed Ndume’s Senate presidency bid, claimed that Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari had endorsed Ahmed Lawan.
However, the claims are yet to be verified as Buhari has been silent on his acclaimed support for either candidates in the tussle for the 9th National Assembly leadership.
But Ndume said the outcome of his Senate presidency bid will not deter his relationship with Buhari whom he described as “a man of nobody but belongs to everybody.”
