Senate Presidency: ‘My Chances Are Bright’— Confident Ali Ndume Says Despite APC’s Decision

The senator representing Borno south district in the National Assembly, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has said he won’t compromise the independence of the Senate if elected its president in the forthcoming inauguration of the 9th Senate.

Ndume said he wants to lead the 9th Senate, in order to help galvanise the National Assembly to do more for good governance, stressing that the upper chamber needs an articulate personality from the north-east to lead it.

He made the comments at a media parley in Lagos on Sunday, May 5.

He said the north-east had suffered huge devastation with property worth over N2 trillion destroyed by insurgents, adding that there is need for an articulate candidate from the geo-political zone for the position of Senate president, to mobilise global support for the restoration of the area.

He said he was qualified to play that role, adding that his record in the National Assembly could attest to that.

The lawmaker said his chances of becoming the next Senate president are bright, adding that he enjoys robust relationship with his colleagues; returning and new seniors-elect.

“The 9th Senate will do things differently and that is why I set out my nine-point agenda of what I want to do to reposition the Senate,” he added.

Asked if the voting process could work against him if the secret ballot system is jettisoned, he replied: “Senate rules remain secret ballot and, we will adhere strictly to that when we reconvene in June.”

Meanwhile, a group, Ogene Igbo Support for Equity and Good Governance, has endorsed former Abia state governor and senator-elect, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, to become the deputy Senate president in the incoming 9th Senate.

Also, according to report filed by Vanguard, ahead of the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly and election of Presiding officers, Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, All Progressives Congress, APC, Yobe North has intensified his campaign strategy to actualize his aspiration for the position of Senate President.

This time, Senator Lawan and his team, have taken the awareness and drumming for support to media houses in the nation’s capital, Abuja. Between Monday and Wednesday, the Senate leader and his supporters visited the headquarters of Daily Trust, Leadership and Blueprint, where he told the world through the media houses his plans for the Senate, if elected.

Senator Lawan is also using the visits to the media houses to canvass for the use of open ballot system to elect the presiding officers against the backdrop that open ballot system being used globally for elections in the parliament is what majority of the federal lawmakers- elect are canvassing for and should be adopted.