Ahmed Lawan’s bid for the presidency of the 9th Senate received a big boost on Thursday with backing from one of his rivals , Mohammed Goje , representing Gombe Central Constituency in the Senate.
Goje, from Pindiga, in Akko Local government of Gombe State, a former Peoples Democratic Party Senator who later defected into the All Progressive Congress APC , was at the State House , Presidential Villa, on Thursday, with Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State both of whom had meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Goje who is seen as the “ third force” in the Senate, according to State House sources, “ brokered” agreements with the President.
Governor El- Rufai was said to been instrumental to the “ success” which means that the position of the party and that of Ahmed Lawan for the Presidency of the 9th Senate is now assured.
Governor El -Rufai while speaking to State House Correspondents after meeting with President Buhari alongside Goje, said “the chairman, Senate committee on appropriations in the eight Senate, Danjuma Goje from Gombe state has endorsed the Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan from Yobe state for the Senate Presidency.
He disclosed that “ Goje is respecting the wish of the President and the party.
El-Rufai while speaking in the company of Senators Lawan, Goje and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang, said Goje has thrown his weight behind the party’s choice for Senate Presidency, ending controversy of a possible repeat of the 2015 experience.
According to El- Rufai, “ Gentlemen of the press, I am very pleased to report to you that we just came out from a meeting with our leader and mentor, the president with distinguished senator Danjuma Goje from Gombe state and Distinguished Senator Ahmed Lawan from Yobe state and the senator-Elect, Uba Sani from my state.
“We discussed steps to unify our leadership in the National Assembly starting with the senate.
“I am very pleased to announce that distinguished senator Goje has agreed to fully endorse and support the choice of the party and that of Mr. President within the Senate, that is Senator Ahmed Lawan.
“We are very grateful to senator goje for his sacrifice, patience. This discussion has been going on for a long time and I honoured to be part of it and I am grateful to him for recognizing the many years we have worked together when he was minister, as governor. I know him to be a man of impeccable integrity and a man of his word and I am very honoured that he has come to see Mr. president and to conclude this matter once and for all.
Goje who also spoke, thanked his teeming supporters, associates across the country, who have been calling him to declare for the senate presidency,
“ I have listened to them and I thank them very well.
“I want to say that as an elder statesman in the Senate for a long time. At my age, I should be able to appreciate leadership coming from our elders. So in spite of all these calls, in spite all the support I have among my colleagues in the senate, I have decided to in deference to the loyalty I have for His excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari and in deference to the loyalty I have for my party, the APC in the interest of our party and the development of this country, in other to assist Mr. President to deliver his promises, I have decided to respect his wish by not declaring to contest this senate presidency.
“Instead, I am supporting the party’s position thereby endorsing the candidature of Senator Ahmed Lawan.
Goje, while recognizing the National Assembly as “an independent arm of government “, said “Nigerians see the position of the party now as an imposition?
“I think it is an imposition, I am not compelled to step down, I just told you that at my age I have the capacity to think well and respect my elders and respect my party. And in party politics…I am independent. I have been winning my elections many, many times from my local government to House of Assembly, to National Assembly to governorship and I was also a minister.
Goje who debunked claims of threats to support Lawan, stated that “ I am supporting him based on my own conviction that I am doing the right thing for our country, for our president.
Senator Lawan thanked President Buhari for his support and for providing leadership for the APC, as well as Goje who decision has further helped to unite the party and the Senate
“ I want to thank Mr. President, our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari for giving us the leadership that we need at this point and always.
“We have just come out of a closed door meeting just like his excellency the governor Nasir El-Rufai said. Mine is to thank Senator Goje and El-Rufai for making it possible for us to achieve what we have achieved we today.
“For me, this is a great day and a very important moment for the contest for the office of the Senate. The endorsement by senator Goje, is going to bring so much unity in the APC and indeed in the entire senate in a very bi-partisan fashion. I believe that is the way to go, we want to go to the ninth senate focused and United right from onset, kickstart our activities which is very important at this time. The country needs a senate that is focused and united for optimum performance and I believe that the senators-elect will be happy to hear that this has been achieved.
“I want to thank Senator Goje, he is very experienced politician like he has said. He has been in this business much longer and than most of us really. And I respect him even when there was so much clamour for him to run for the position of the president of the senate, he never came out to publicly to declare. Even though he had enormous respect and following, but the position he has willingly taken to respect the wishes of the party and president, is the best position any politician could take. And there is nothing better than to have a family that is very united, very solid and very focused.
“I also want to thank those who are have been working behind the scene to try and broker this understanding. By the end of today, I’m sure that the complexion for this race would have been changed for the better.”
