By Kaitafa Ahmed Sani
— Jun 4, 2015 11:41 am | 4 Comments
With the swearing-in of President
Muhammadu Buhari and the curtains
drawn on the 7th National Assembly,
attention has duly shifted to the
leadership of the 8th National Assembly.
Needless to state that the most focused
of the two chambers is the Senate.
The Senate comprising 109 distinguished
senior citizens is expected to select or
elect a new leader come Tuesday, 9th
July, 2015.Two major contenders for the
leadership of the Senate; Senator Bukola
Saraki from Kwara State and Senator
Ahmad Lawan from Yobe have thus
emerged for the top seat.
While not delving into the usual
complimentary remarks in support of a
particular candidate, it is, however,
pertinent that as a card-carrying member
of the All Progressives Congress (APC),
one implored on the party, its senators
and other distinguished senators to make
the best choice of the two, especially as
it regards experience, party loyalty and of
course the question of the moral burden.
If Nigeria must be the winner and seen to
be the ultimate beneficiary of the gift of a
most qualified Senate president, then the
perfect choice in my candid opinion for
the job at hand is Senator Ahmed Lawan
( Dan Masanin bade). And the reasons are
not far-fetched.
The first issue I would like to look at is
the years of ranking and, indeed,
experience in law-making, especially at
the level of the national assembly.
Lawan is the longest serving APC
legislator in the National Assembly,
having been there since 1999. If ever
there is a reward for experience in the
promulgation and act of lawmaking he
should be granted that reward.
Following suit is the issue of loyalty to
the party, which is and should be very
paramount to the APC. Unlike his major
contestant who left for the PDP in 2003
to wrest power from an ANPP governor
and later jumped back to the APC,
Senator Lawan has never left the
opposition. Even after the huge pressure
mounted on him from 2007-2010 when
the party had major issues in Yobe state,
he resisted that allure and remained in
the opposition till date – ensuring that
ANPP which joined to berth APC remained
intact and the winning party in Yobe State
and the northeast at large. His conviction
and vision has come to be manifest in the
emergence of President Muhammadu
Buhari today under the APC’s banner.
Thirdly, I would love to see a senate
president that inspires the down trodden
to aspire for the highest seat in the land.
It is my humble opinion that Lawan’s
emergence will instantly inspire millions
of Nigerians who are the ‘children of
nobody’ and further drive home the
message that surnames cannot serve as
privileges and be recognized by mere
mentions. This will give each and every
Nigerian the opportunity to thrive in the
country we collectively own.
In- addition, it is pertinent that for the
sake of stability, that credibility and
credence be highly considered a factor as
ascending to a post as sensitive as the
Senate presidency necessitates that one
should not have any excess baggage with
him or her. As proven in the past, these
are usually booby traps used to achieve
peculiar interest, albeit politically most
times.
For Lawan, who has never been indicted
or faced any criminal or civil charge, this
says millions of his persona and
character. The fact that of the five
elections that he has won, only once has
he been dragged to a tribunal (in 2011,
where he won against PDP) says volume
of his electoral conduct also. The added
advantage of this is that the Senate
President upon election would
immediately hit the ground running and
not be distracted by summons and
lawyers but squarely aid in giving
Nigerians the real change in governance
as it relates to meaningful life.
Nigerians would not all vote but be
represented by their senators. I believe
that in electing a Senate president, the
interest of Nigerians as well as continued
stability of our democracy must be taken
into consideration and held utmost in the
minds of our distinguished citizens.
Having served as the House committee
chairman on Education and Agriculture
before his present appointment as the
chairman Senate committee on Public
Accounts, Lawan who is happily married
blessed with children cuts the picture of
the perfect senate president.
The Senate will surely strive under his
leadership with his envisaged deputy, Sen.
George Akume, as well as with the
support of all other loyal party members
across geo-political divides. Nigerians
indeed look forward to his swearing in on
Tuesday.

http://leadership.ng/opinions/438344/senate-presidency-lawan-on-the-threshold-of-history

For the fact that lawan has been in the opposition since 99, that makes him a good candidate. But there is something about saraki that makes him a better candidate.

oladele97:
By Kaitafa Ahmed Sani
— Jun 4, 2015 11:41 am | 4 Comments
With the swearing-in of President
Muhammadu Buhari and the curtains
drawn on the 7th National Assembly,
attention has duly shifted to the
leadership of the 8th National Assembly.
Needless to state that the most focused
of the two chambers is the Senate.
The Senate comprising 109 distinguished
senior citizens is expected to select or
elect a new leader come Tuesday, 9th
July, 2015.Two major contenders for the
leadership of the Senate; Senator Bukola
Saraki from Kwara State and Senator
Ahmad Lawan from Yobe have thus
emerged for the top seat.
While not delving into the usual
complimentary remarks in support of a
particular candidate, it is, however,
pertinent that as a card-carrying member
of the All Progressives Congress (APC),
one implored on the party, its senators
and other distinguished senators to make
the best choice of the two, especially as
it regards experience, party loyalty and of
course the question of the moral burden.
If Nigeria must be the winner and seen to
be the ultimate beneficiary of the gift of a
most qualified Senate president, then the
perfect choice in my candid opinion for
the job at hand is Senator Ahmed Lawan
( Dan Masanin bade). And the reasons are
not far-fetched.
The first issue I would like to look at is
the years of ranking and, indeed,
experience in law-making, especially at
the level of the national assembly.
Lawan is the longest serving APC
legislator in the National Assembly,
having been there since 1999. If ever
there is a reward for experience in the
promulgation and act of lawmaking he
should be granted that reward.
Following suit is the issue of loyalty to
the party, which is and should be very
paramount to the APC. Unlike his major
contestant who left for the PDP in 2003
to wrest power from an ANPP governor
and later jumped back to the APC,
Senator Lawan has never left the
opposition. Even after the huge pressure
mounted on him from 2007-2010 when
the party had major issues in Yobe state,
he resisted that allure and remained in
the opposition till date – ensuring that
ANPP which joined to berth APC remained
intact and the winning party in Yobe State
and the northeast at large. His conviction
and vision has come to be manifest in the
emergence of President Muhammadu
Buhari today under the APC’s banner.
Thirdly, I would love to see a senate
president that inspires the down trodden
to aspire for the highest seat in the land.
It is my humble opinion that Lawan’s
emergence will instantly inspire millions
of Nigerians who are the ‘children of
nobody’ and further drive home the
message that surnames cannot serve as
privileges and be recognized by mere
mentions. This will give each and every
Nigerian the opportunity to thrive in the
country we collectively own.
In- addition, it is pertinent that for the
sake of stability, that credibility and
credence be highly considered a factor as
ascending to a post as sensitive as the
Senate presidency necessitates that one
should not have any excess baggage with
him or her. As proven in the past, these
are usually booby traps used to achieve
peculiar interest, albeit politically most
times.
For Lawan, who has never been indicted
or faced any criminal or civil charge, this
says millions of his persona and
character. The fact that of the five
elections that he has won, only once has
he been dragged to a tribunal (in 2011,
where he won against PDP) says volume
of his electoral conduct also. The added
advantage of this is that the Senate
President upon election would
immediately hit the ground running and
not be distracted by summons and
lawyers but squarely aid in giving
Nigerians the real change in governance
as it relates to meaningful life.
Nigerians would not all vote but be
represented by their senators. I believe
that in electing a Senate president, the
interest of Nigerians as well as continued
stability of our democracy must be taken
into consideration and held utmost in the
minds of our distinguished citizens.
Having served as the House committee
chairman on Education and Agriculture
before his present appointment as the
chairman Senate committee on Public
Accounts, Lawan who is happily married
blessed with children cuts the picture of
the perfect senate president.
The Senate will surely strive under his
leadership with his envisaged deputy, Sen.
George Akume, as well as with the
support of all other loyal party members
across geo-political divides. Nigerians
indeed look forward to his swearing in on
Tuesday.

http://leadership.ng/opinions/438344/senate-presidency-lawan-on-the-threshold-of-history

Nigeria politics does not have anything like better candidate.if you're on good record with the Oga at the top and political environment favours you,you don win be that

Really, what of saraki