Don't Blame Saraki for Lawan's Failure, Says Senator

Senator Ahmed Lawan

The Senator representing Bauchi Central, Hamma Isa Misau, has said that the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, should not be blamed for the inability of Senator Ahmed Lawan to emerge as majority leader of the Eighth Senate as proposed by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
 
Misau explained that rather than blame Saraki, members of the North-east caucus of the APC in the Senate overwhelmingly voted against the decision and rather preferred Senator Ali Ndume as the leader.
He added that out of the 11 Senators who are members of the caucus, eight voted for Ndume while three voted for Lawan and that since politics is a game of numbers, the candidate with majority of the Senators emerged as leader.

Misau noted that the explanation became necessary in view of the belief that the Senate President deliberately antagonized the party leadership by refusing to name Lawan and the others into leadership positions, thereby favoring a ‘winner takes all’ arrangement.
“Many people do not know or understand what happened then. Truly, many of us prefer Ndume to Lawan. The fact that Ndume contested for the post of Deputy Senate President and at that time and he sought the support of most senators made it easy for him to get our support.
“In any case, Senator Lawan never told anybody that he was interested in the post of majority leader. We therefore voted for a person who actually lobbied and sought for our support. So, we take responsibility for our decisions. Nobody should blame the Senate President,” he said in a press statement.
The Senator further added that many people erroneously over-rate the powers of the Senate President in making certain decisions in the Senate.
“The Senate President is just first among equals. He represents one district like every other senator. He is not like a state Governor or President who has executive powers and discretion to select ministers and commissioners. The Senate President must always do what the Senators want and must even carry along his colleagues at all times. Dr. Saraki is very popular among us today because he is always respecting our opinion and usually doing what we want.
“He has a way of relating to all of us as equals that we are and trying to aggregate the overall interest and position of majority in taking decisions. So, when we said we wanted Ndume as Senate majority leader, he could not have done otherwise. Saraki has nothing against Lawan and I think, my brother Ahmed Lawan understands this,” Misau said.

He added that contrary to speculations in some quarters, majority of the Senators are in support of Saraki, even in spite of the on-going trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
Meanwhile, the senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki has said the list of Ministerial nominees will not be opened until next week Tuesday, October 6.
Saraki, according to his spokesperson, Yusuph Olaniyonu is following the tradition of the Senate and has decided that the envelope will remain sealed till Tuesday October 6, when during the plenary sitting of the Upper legislative chamber, it will be opened and the list read to Senators.