Senate Presidency: I’ve Phone Numbers Of All 109 Senators-Elect, I Call Them For Support

A former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has expressed confidence in emerging the next Senate President, ahead of the election to select the 9th National Assembly leadership.

Ndume has insisted in contesting the position despite his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) adopting Ahmed Lawan, current Senate Majority Leader.

The Borno South senator in an interview with journalists in Lagos on Monday, said that his party never asked him not to run for the position, adding that he was in the race to win. He said”

“We have 109 senators and each of them have one vote. If you are contesting to be the Senate President, you have to reach out. But at the beginning, I was cautious because I am a party man. So, when the party said ‘don’t go there,’ I did not.

“But the party came out again and said, ‘You can reach out to them now,’ so I reached out to them.

“So far, the response I am getting from my colleagues from the APC and other parties is very encouraging. I am in this race to win; I am talking to everybody. I have the telephone numbers of all the 109 senators-elect and I call them.

“I have written the party, indicating my intention to contest. Even my national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, publicly said they only recommended Lawan and not that they are stopping anybody.

“As I speak with you, nobody has consulted me to say ‘don’t run for Senate President’. Everybody has the constitutional right to do that.”

Ndume said if he emerges next president of the Senate that he was going to improve on the performance of the 8th Senate, as well as make the office of the Senate President less attractive by reducing the unnecessary privileges attached to the office.

He also said he would work “harmoniously and inter-dependently with the executive without undermining the principle of separation of power.”