PDP, YPP senators-elect grace Lawan’s agenda launch

Fri, Jun 7, 2019 | By publisher


Politics

SOME senators-elect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Young Progressive Party (YPP), on Friday, attended Sen. Ahmad Lawan’s launch of his 9th Senate presidency’s agenda, declaring their full support for his candidacy.

The opposition parties’ senators-elect at the occasion include Clifford Odia (PDP-Edo), Mathew Urhoghide (PDP-Edo) and Gershom Bash (PDP-Cross River).

Others are Abba Morro (PDP-Benue), Lawali Anka (PDP-Zamfara) and Ifeanyi Ubah (YPP-Anambra).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 20-page proposed legislative agenda contains his vision and direction for the 9th Senate should he emerge as Nigeria’s senate president come June 11.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the event in Abuja, Mr Ifeanyi Ubah of YPP said Lawan ls the most experience and competent senator to assume the office of the senate president.

“He has the experience, he is competent and has served as majority leader in the Senate,” he said.

Ubah said with the long years of experience as a legislator, Lawan would successfully deliver on his mandate if elected to be the Senate helmsman.

He stressed that though he was backing the candidacy of Lawan, he still remained a YPP senator-elect.

“I am a YPP senator-elect and i intend to build YPP, give it a national coverage and recognition.

“So i am a bonafide YPP member and as pioneer YPP senator-elect, i will continue to be YPP lawmaker,” he said.

Also speaking, the PDP senator-elect, Mr Morro, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) preferred candidate “has a very beautiful resume.”

“Senator Lawan is one of the longest serving legislators in this country and a Senate leader.

“When you juxtaposed that experience and exposure vis-a-vis the vision that is required of Nigeria, you will come to acknowledge that in the present circumstances, he is the best candidate for this job,” he said.

He said he was also attracted by his campaign vision titled: ”A National Assembly that Works for Nigeria.”

“I found some attractions and a mixture of chemistry here when i discovered that Senator Lawan has such theme like ‘A system that works for all Nigerians.

“There is no doubt about it that this country, moment in time, was entirely polarised on the lines of ethnicity, religion and politics, among others’’, he said.

According to him, but if i have a person, a leader, who can bring all of us together to work together for the benefit of Nigeria, that is the reason why we are in public service in the first place.

“I think i should support that person,” he remarked.

Morro, who said that the decision to be in politics was his, said supporting Lawan’s candidacy should not be misconstrued as plans to defect from PDP to APC.

“Let me tell you, as far as i am concerned, the decision to be in politics in the first place was solely my own.

“The decision to choose PDP above other political parties in this country was also my own too. I am a foundation member of PDP.

“I joined PDP in 1998. I was one of the first elected officials of PDP as chairman of my local government in 1998.

“So the issue of me being here supporting a candidate that is haggling for the senate presidency on the platform of another political party and making it a yardstick for me to dump my own political party does not arise at all,” he said.

According to him, i can tell you that i am not leaving PDP, PDP is my platform, PDP is my dream party and as a democrat, i believe in the objectives of the PDP and i will continue to be a member of the PDP.

Earlier, Sen. Ahmad Lawan, who welcomed the guests at the launch, said if elected as senate president, “he would reposition the Senate to carry out its constitutional duties of legislation, oversight and representation in an open and transparent manner’’.

The lawmaker, who promised timely passage of appropriation bill, said he would implement a national planning and annual budget process that would foster collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government.

He said the country’s economy needed to be diversified and the Senate, under his watch, would give the necessary backing.

He said all hands must be on deck to tackle the current insecurity rate.

“Today, the banditry industry or the kidnapping business is a business that has upstream and downstream sectors.

“This is so because there are people who will kidnap on the highways and they handover to those who are within the forest but the real owners are somewhere else.

“Even those who negotiate are different. So at the end of the day, this industry provides a lot of returns,” he said.

He lamented that Boko Haram group also has agents who help in recruitment process.

“This is an industry and we can’t afford to continue like this,” he said.

The lawmaker therefore said that a lot needed to be done to make the country’s economy work better.

He said under his leadership, there would be no dichotomy among the senators.

“We want to see every one of us in the ninth Senate participating. The ad hoc committees might be of few people, but whoever has an idea that is worth including will be welcomed.

“This will help us build a consensus of what we should achieve as a Senate, and there will be no dichotomy between parties here,” he said.

Earlier,Rep Femi Gbajabiamila, who is vying for the position of speaker, House of Representatives, said Lawan’s agenda ”practically mirrors the same agenda we have in the House.”

“And i know we have the same vision for the National Assembly,” he said.

NAN reports that many APC senators-elect were at the occasion. (NAN)

– June 7, 2019 @ 19:05 GMT |

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