The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the leadership of the 9th National Assembly took a new twist on Thursday when a northeast group at the National Assembly started campaigning for former governor, Danjuma Goje (Gombe), as the next Senate president.
The group, named the North-East Amalgamated Youths, was led by one Bello Ambo from Bauchi State.
Ambo said neither the endorsement of Senator Ahmad Lawan by the leadership of the APC nor the expression of interest by Senator Ali Ndume, should prevent Goje from vying for the nation’s No. 3 spot.
He explained that as far as public service experience was concerned, Goje stood far above the other two having controlled a whole state for eight years between 2003 and 2011. He added that Goje had the required parliamentary experience .
Ambo said, “The position of Senate President requires administrative and parliamentary knowledge enormously possessed by Goje as against the two other contenders from the zone.”
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On the ruling party’s endorsement of Lawan, the group said, “Our party ( APC) is a party of the people and not few leaders, the party should allow the people in this case , senators-elect, to decide whoever they want as their leader in whatever capacity,” he added.
This was just as another ranking senator, Kabiru Gaya, formally declared his intention to contest the position of Deputy Senate President.
Gaya, a fourth-time senator and chairman, Senate Committee on Works, said he was vying for the DSP position because he was the most ranked senator from the North-West geopolitical zone.
He also explained that the zone ought to produce the DSP since the area gave the highest number of votes to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 general elections.
“As a former governor, I have the capacity and capability to run the office of the DSP. Politics is leadership. Those who work hard should be rewarded,” Gaya was quoted as saying.