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Tag: Ahmad Lawan

  • Lawan, Kalu Bid Tearful Farewell In Senate’s Valedictory Session

    Lawan, Kalu Bid Tearful Farewell In Senate’s Valedictory Session

    It was an emotional moment for lawmakers as the Senate held its valedictory session on Saturday.

    At the event well attended by lawmakers, the Senators took turns to recount their experiences in the 9th National Assembly.

    Vice President Kashim Shettima of Borno Central and Nigeria’s First Lady Remi Tinubu, and outgone Senate President Ahmad Lawan were some of the lawmakers present.

    Earlier today, I received the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, both of them Senators in the ninth Senate who had come to attend the valedictory session of the Senate. pic.twitter.com/qJNuK8AL1l

    In his valedictory speech, Shettima urged incoming senators to work for the betterment of Nigeria as the lawmakers elect their leaders.

    “To my incoming colleagues, I will leave you with a parable, ‘the stability of this nation is superior to the stability of our pockets’. On Tuesday, let us vote wisely, let us vote for the Nigerian nation,” the vice president said.

    The First Lady, who said she contemplated retiring from politics, attributed her stay in the Senate to God.

    “God sustained me for three terms, from the 7th assembly, 8th assembly, and 9th assembly and I am still confused myself how I have been able to continue this journey,” she said.

    “At the time, I even thought that let me retire and begin to face my family because serving the nation takes a lot of sacrifices and it starts with a sacrifice from your home, your children, even your better half. It takes a lot of sacrifices to want to give time to serve the nation. At the same, it’s a great privilege for all of us that are here.”

    On his part, the immediate past Senate President Lawan praised his colleagues for their support during his tenure as their leader.

    The lawmaker, who was quite emotional towards the end of his remark, recalled the various feats achieved by the Senate despite the challenges and said this was impossible without their backing.

    “I thank you, all my colleagues, for voting me to be the President of the Senate. It has been an honour and a privilege for me to serve as a member of this revered legislative body and to preside over its activities at a defining moment in our history,” he said.

    “Esteemed colleagues, today, our stewardship in the 9th Senate comes to an end. As the cliché goes, all good things come to an end,” Lawan said.

    “We do not depart with regrets but rather with a sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that we made our modest contributions towards building a better and prosperous Nigeria.”

    A former Abia State governor Orji Kalu was also quite emotional during his valedictory speech.

    He thanked the lawmakers for standing by him during his trying times.

    “Before I came into politics, I could buy anything money can buy. I’m not a thief. Those that put me in prison know the reason. They took over my businesses and wanted to kill me yet I survived it and I’m in the senate with you,” he said.

    “I have never lacked, while I was in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where I served for two terms as governor, I brought the money that they used in forming that party, every penny, in 1997 and 1998, and I later became a thief,” the Abia lawmaker added.

    “People I gave transport money from my house in Victoria Island became agents. This is what Nigeria represents. I want to thank my colleagues for giving me these four years of uninterrupted support. This country is not fair.”

  • 10th NASS: Lawan Denies Seeking Reelection As Senate President

    10th NASS: Lawan Denies Seeking Reelection As Senate President

    Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has denied joining the race for the Senate presidency.

    Lawan, a former Majority Leader was elected as the Senate President in 2019 after enjoying the backing of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the position.

    The APC has selected a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, as its choice for Senate President and the senator representing Kano North District, Barau Jibrin, as the Deputy Senate President.

    In a statement on Tuesday, Lawan said he did not declare to contest for the next Senate presidency seat and he has not held a meeting with anybody regarding that.

    According to Lawan, he is part of the leadership of the APC and he will remain committed to the party’s position.

    “I have read some media reports that I have joined the race for the Presidency of the 10th Senate. Ordinarily, I would not have responded to these reports but when lies are not refuted, they have the tendency to create an illusion of truth,” he said.

    “The truth is that I have never told anyone or held a meeting with anyone that I am running for the Presidency of the 10th Senate. So the public should discountenance the reports.

    “The fact remains that I am part of the leadership of our great party, the APC, seeking to find solutions to the numerous issues arising from the contests for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly and I will continue to remain focused on that.”

  • Electoral Act: Sowore speaks on why Apex Court declared Lawan Yobe North candidate

    Electoral Act: Sowore speaks on why Apex Court declared Lawan Yobe North candidate

    The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has claimed that the Electoral Act 2022 contains loopholes that allowed some candidates to be purportedly imposed on the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2023 elections.

    Sowore, in a tweet on Thursday, noted that one of such loopholes allowed the court to declare Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the candidate for the Yobe North Senatorial District “in an election where he never participated in the primary.”

    In a majority judgment delivered, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by the APC against Bashir Machina’s candidature.

    The court declared Lawan the winner of the Yobe North senatorial candidacy over the winner of the May 29, poll, Machina.

    Reacting, Sowore said, “I had a chance to tell Nigerian lawmakers the lacuna in the Electoral Act that got the Senate President, Lawan declared a candidate in an election where he did not contest the primary.”

    Sowore in a video that accompanied his tweet, recorded while speaking at a National Assembly public hearing on the Electoral Act 2022, said, “I also seriously think that the Electoral Act has some lacuna that is being exploited by the judiciary. We are all aware that even though the portal for electoral process has been closed, courts are still giving conflicting judgements regarding candidates in this election, including candidates that did not even participate in the primary that have been imposed on INEC as we speak. One of them is your (Senate) President here.”

    “An Electoral Act that also empowers INEC to be a major decision-maker for political parties is not a democratic Electoral Act. I also want to say that the Senate should look directly into how to curb INEC’s power to deregister parties because that does not promote democracy at all,” Sowore added.

    It was reported that the APC delivered victory to Lawan after dragging Machina to the apex court while insisting that Lawan, who didn’t contest the primary, was its “authentic candidate.”

    Meanwhile, while addressing journalists after the judgement of the apex court on Monday, Lawan lauded the judgment, saying it showed that “democracy is at work.”

    Lawan said, “What happened was democracy at work and the courts gave their various judgments and of course, the Supreme Court gave the final judgement. I want to at this point commend the Supreme Court and of course the judiciary generally for making this kind of judgement to strengthen our democracy because it is not only for politicians to work and strengthen democracy. All institutions have their roles to play. So I commend them.”

    During the party’s primary on May 8, 2022, Machina emerged as the unopposed winner of the election while Lawan contested and lost the party’s presidential ticket to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

    Machina had previously cried out that the Senate President and some forces were trying to clinch the ticket from him.

    Amid the outburst, the APC submitted Lawan’s name to INEC as its candidate, leaving the confused electoral body with no choice but to leave the senatorial district candidacy empty when it released the full list of candidates across the country.

    Machina had in turn dragged both his party and INEC to court in a suit, asking the court to declare him as the authentic senatorial candidate.

    In September 2022, a Federal High Court in Damaturu, the Yobe capital, declared Machina as the winner, ordering both the APC and INEC to recognise Machina as the candidate.

    Also, an Appeal Court in Abuja affirmed Machina as the authentic candidate of the APC Yobe North senatorial district.

    After losing at both levels, the ruling party took the case to the apex court where it argued that the primary election held on May 28 last year which produced Machina, was in breach of the Electoral Act 2022.

    The counsel for the party, Sepiribo Peters, contended that one Danjuma Manga who conducted the said primary was not nominated by the National Working Committee of the party.

    He told the court that the APC cancelled the primary on account of irregularities observed during the exercise.

    He argued that the other primary held on June 9 was conducted by the APC NWC, and produced Lawan as the party’s authentic candidate.

    However, Machina’s lawyer, Sarafa Yusuf, prayed the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit on the ground that the Senate President did not challenge the suits at both the trial and lower courts.

  • S’Court Declares Lawan APC Senatorial Candidate For Yobe North

    S’Court Declares Lawan APC Senatorial Candidate For Yobe North

    The Supreme Court has affirmed Ahmed Lawan as the authentic Candidate of Yobe North Senatorial District.

    In the lead judgement, Justice Centus Nweze faulted the approach of Bashir Machina in commencing the suit at the Federal High Court Damaturu division by way of originating summons and without oral evidence to prove allegations of fraud.

    In the majority decision, the apex Court also set aside the decision of the Appeal Court, Gombe Division, which affirmed the decision of the trial court that declared Machina the Senatorial Candidate for Yobe North.

    But in a dissenting decision by Justices Emmanuel Agim and Adamu Jauro, the apex Court said Ahmad Lawan never participated in the APC primary held on 28 May, as he withdrew voluntarily to participate in the presidential primary held on the 8 June 2022.

    The minority decision held that in the conduct of another primary on June 9, 2022 where Lawan emerged was in breach of Section 84 (5) of the Electoral Act as the APC never cancelled that held on 28 May before organizing another.

    Justice Centus Nweze who read the lead judgement, held that the decisions of the Federal High Court in Yobe and the Court of Appeal in Abuja were perverse and must be set aside.

    He added that Mr Machina ought to have commenced his suit by a writ of summons going by the allegations of fraud levelled against the APC in transmitting Mr Lawan’s name to INEC.

    But, two other members of the Supreme Court panel, Adamu Jauro and Emmanuel Agim, disagreed with the majority judgement.

    In the lead dissenting judgement, Justice Adamu Jauro held that the APC “appeal is devoid of merit.” He slammed a N3 million fine against the APC in favour of Mr Machina.

    Justice Emmanuel Agim while reading his dissenting view, says the APC’s primary election held on 9 June which produced Mr Lawal was an illegal contraption.

    He noted that Mr Lawan’s withdrawal from the Yobe North Senatorial District race on12 May, to vie for the APC presidential ticket automatically disqualified the Senate President from the National Assembly election.

    Mr Agim further adds the purported primary election held on 9 June, 2022, was a ruse as it was not monitored by INEC.

    The APC had challenged the nomination of Bashir Machina as the party’s candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District.

    The party insisted that Ahmad Lawan, Nigeria’s Senate President, was the authentic Senatorial candidate for Yobe North for the forthcoming general election.

    At the last hearing of the appeal, the counsel for the party, Sepiribo Peters argued that the primary election held on 28 May last year which produced Machina was in breach of the Electoral Act 2022.

    Peters contended that one Danjuma Manga who conducted the said primary election was not nominated by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

    He told the court that the APC cancelled the primary poll on account of the irregularities observed during the exercise.

    He argued that the other primary held on 9 June was conducted by the APC NWC, and produced Lawan as the party’s authentic candidate.

    However, Machina’s lawyer, Sarafa Yusuf prayed the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit on the ground that the Senate President did not challenge the suits at both the trial and lower courts.

    He also pointed that Manga who conducted the primary election where Machina emerged, was a member of the NWC-appointed Committee to carryout the exercise.

    The APC had approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja seeking to nullify the judgment of lower court that declared Machina as APC’s candidate for Yobe North, but the President of the Court, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem led the panel held that the appeal was an abuse of court process.

  • Again, Lawan Justifies 9th Senate’s Collaboration with Buhari 

    Again, Lawan Justifies 9th Senate’s Collaboration with Buhari 

    The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has advanced copious reasons to justify the current dispensation of collaboration between the National Assembly and the Executive.

    In a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Olu Awoniyi, Lawan said the prevailing harmonious relationship between the two arms of government made the ninth National Assembly the most productive since inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

    He disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari had so far signed into law 84 bills passed by the ninth Assembly, the largest by any Nigerian President.

    The Senate President made the disclosure in a paper which he delivered at the just concluded 3rd Year Ministerial Performance Review Retreat held at the State House, Abuja.

    His paper was titled ‘Collaboration to deliver: Fostering Executive/Legislative relationship and opportunities for legacy legislation.’

    Lawan stated that his presentation was “best understood within the context of our presidential system of government and the doctrine of the separation of powers”.

    “The three arms of government are separate but interdependent, and the ultimate goal of each is to deliver good governance and meet the aspirations of all Nigerians.

    “Many Nigerians have come to construe harmonious executive-legislative relations as a sign of weakness or subservience to the executive.

    “Nothing can be further from the truth than this misperception, which we must painstakingly work to correct.

    “It is not uncommon for some to view the three arms of government as occupying separate and identifiable domains of power and responsibility, with little opportunity or need for interaction.

    “However, this kind of dualism is not only untenable but damaging. It is now widely recognised that good national governance depends on core state institutions working cooperatively.

    “A constructive relationship between the three arms of government, i.e., legislature, the executive and the judiciary, is essential to effectively maintaining the constitution and promoting the rule of law,” he said.

    Lawan stated that the timely consultations between all stakeholders can play a significant role in avoiding gridlocks, improving understanding and delivering development to the people on whose behalf they govern.

    He said that the legislature is constituted by the people’s direct representatives and is responsible for reflecting the voices of ordinary Nigerians.

    The Senate President added that this cannot be achieved through unnecessary grandstanding, conflict and war of egos, saying that as the cliché rightly states, “where two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers”.

    “As one of the longest-serving legislators in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, I am well aware of the dangers of adopting a confrontational approach to governance issues.

    “A lot of energy and resources (time and money) are dissipated over inconsequential issues rather than on dealing with substantive and livelihood-based issues that confront the average Nigerian.

    “At the beginning of the 9th Assembly, we took a deliberate position to collaborate with the executive to ensure that the cardinal objective of government (welfare and security of citizens) is met,” he said.

    Lawan said that despite the media bashing and name-calling, he is proud to say that the present National Assembly has been the most productive since 1999.

    He said the achievements recorded are mainly due to a harmonious executive relation and heightened engagement with the executive on proposed policies and laws long before they are formally presented to the National Assembly for legislative action.

    “This strategy has enabled us to surmount many of the traditional obstacles and bottlenecks that confronted previous Assemblies.

    “The synergy between the legislature and the executive has resulted in reforming our budgetary process to entrench transparency and accountability, professionalism, greater citizen participation, and strict guidelines and timelines (January-December).

    “In addition, we worked with President Muhammadu Buhari to support the establishment of the Executive, Legislative, and Party Consultative Forum headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to promote harmony in governance towards enhancing service delivery to the Nigerian people.

    “In the last few years, the National Assembly provided legislative support and approval towards the realisation of this administration’s unwavering commitment to improving security, transforming the nation’s economy and modernising infrastructure, specifically, railway system, roads and power, across the length and breadth of this country,” he stated.

    Lawan said that the results of the collaboration are clear for all to see, adding that President Buhari has granted assent to 84 bills so far, the largest by any Nigerian president.

    He stated that many of the Acts enacted have immediate and long-term impacts on all aspects of the country’s national life, including the economy, security and democratic institutions.

    According to him, “These include the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, Electoral Act 2022, Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022, Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020.

    “Other impactful legislations are the Finance Act, 2020, Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020; Police Act, 2020; and the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract Act (Amendment) Act 2019, etc.

    “The impact of the enactment of these landmark legislations will continue to be felt for generations to come. Indeed, a clear benefit of harmonious legislative-executive relations is the successes recorded by the 9th Assembly in passing laws that have consistently failed to scale through since 1999.

    “Other areas of achievements that are hinged on effective collaboration with the executive include the adoption of legislative measures to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nigerians, mitigate its consequences, limit its spread and improve the efficiency of Nigeria’s health system to cope with the unprecedented challenges occasioned by the pandemic.”

  • 2023: Lawan Omitted as INEC clears Umahi, others for NASS Elections

    2023: Lawan Omitted as INEC clears Umahi, others for NASS Elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the list of 80 successful candidates, including Governor David Umahi, for the 2023 National Assembly elections in Ebonyi State.

    The state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Joseph Chukwu, made this known at a news briefing at the INEC headquarters in Abakaliki on Tuesday.

    Chukwu explained that the list had been displayed at the state headquarters and INEC offices in the 13 local government areas of the state.

    According to him, the commission cleared thirty-two presidential and vice presidential candidates from the eighteen registered political parties for the 2023 election.

    Chukwu said that the display of the list of cleared candidates was in compliance with section 32 (1) of the Electoral Act.

    The section provides that the names of candidates sponsored by political parties shall be published one hundred and fifty days before the poll.

    A breakdown of the list showed 29 Senatorial and 51 House Representatives candidates from the 3 senatorial districts and 6 federal constituencies of Ebonyi.

    NAN reports that Umahi made the senatorial list as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ebonyi South.

    Meanwhile, with the latest disclosure by INEC, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan is out from next year’s senatorial election, while former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would participate in the poll.

    Recall that Umahi, Lawan and Akpabio nominations for the 2023 senatorial elections had been under contention, following their losing out at the presidential primaries of the APC.

    INEC had refused to publish the names of any candidates for the party in the affected senatorial districts.

    However, a Federal High Court, Abuja, had ordered INEC to accept and publish Akpabio’s name as the candidate of the APC for the 2023 Akwa Ibom North/West Senatorial District election.

    Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order on Monday.

  • Senate to Screen Ariwoola for Confirmation as CJN – Lawan

    Senate to Screen Ariwoola for Confirmation as CJN – Lawan

    The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said the red chamber will screen for confirmation, the appointment of the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Wednesday.

    Ariwoola has been on acting capacity for nearly two months since his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, based on the recommendations of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

    Lawan has, therefore, appealed to all senators to be present in plenary on Wednesday for the required rigorous drilling of the Acting CJN for substantive capacity as Chief Justice of Nigeria.

    Lawan, who disclosed this at plenary, said:

    “Distinguished colleagues, tomorrow, Wednesday, 21st September, 2022, has been fixed for screening and possible confirmation of Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria ( CJN).

    “Please as usual, we all need to be at plenary during the screening exercise,” he said.

    The Senate recieved Buhari’s letter for Ariwoola’s confirmation as the substantive CJN on Tuesday, July 26, 2002

    The Upper Chamber could not, however, consider the request as it adjourned for its annual two-month recess the following day, which was Wednesday, July 27, 2022.

  • 2023: Lawan, Akpabio Not Recognised as Senatorial Candidates – INEC

    2023: Lawan, Akpabio Not Recognised as Senatorial Candidates – INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday denied doctoring and backdating documents to accommodate the nominations of Ahmad Lawan and Godswill Akpabio as senatorial candidates for the 2023 general elections.

    INEC also said it is yet to recognise “any of the two personalities as a Senatorial candidate.”

    Mr Lawan, who is the current Senate President and Mr Akpabio had both contested in the All Progressives Congress presidential primaries, which was won by Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Both have however chosen to pick up Senate tickets for Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial Districts respectively, sparking controversy over the legality of such a move since most Senate primaries had already been conducted before the presidential primaries.

    In a statement by the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Chairman Voter Education, Festus Okoye, the electoral body said, “For the records, the commission has not recognised any of the two personalities as a senatorial candidate. For the records, the commission has not recognised any of the two personalities as a Senatorial candidate.”

    Okoye used the opportunity to call for responsible reporting, decrying the “unwarranted attack on the Commission and its officials over a matter than can be easily fact-checked.”

    He debunked claims making the rounds online that INEC purportedly “doctored, backdated and certified documents” to favour Akpabio and Lawan.

    “For clarity, the Form EC9 (submission of names of candidates by political parties) is the form uploaded by parties on the INEC nomination portal. This is clearly indicated on the title of the form, which was received on June 17 2022 when the portal closed,” Okoye explained. “What follows is the publication of the personal particulars of nominated candidates, which was done a week later. The forms of the two personalities in question were not published by the commission.”

    According to him, INEC’s decision triggered legal action, which “are still ongoing.”

    “It, therefore, defies logic and common sense to go around and submit doctored documents purportedly recognising the duo as candidates when the matter is clearly sub-judice”, he added. “As part of the ongoing case in Court, a law firm requested the commission for a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Form EC9 submitted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as its candidate for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, which we are duty bound to oblige them under the law.”

    He further disclosed that the form was certified on July 15.

  • 2023: Lawan, Akpabio, Umahi Missing As INEC Releases List Of Senatorial Candidates

    2023: Lawan, Akpabio, Umahi Missing As INEC Releases List Of Senatorial Candidates

    The Independent National Electoral Commission has released the list and particulars of candidates vying for various positions at the federal level in the 2023 general elections.

    Conspicuously missing were the names of Senate President Ahmad Lawan, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi.

    The trio had contested the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress but may have been hoping to reclaim the APC senatorial seats after failing to win the top seat.

    Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, an INEC National Commissioner, Festus Okoye, said the commission is not obligated to publish the name of candidates that did not emerge from valid party primaries.

    “If a political party submits to the Independent National Electoral Commission the name of a candidate that did not emerge from party primaries or did not emerge from valid party primaries, the commission is not obligated to publish the name of such a candidate,” he said.

    However, Mr Okoye noted that INEC has not published the final list of validly nominated candidates.

    “The final list of validly nominated candidates will be published by the Independent National Electoral Commission on the 20th day of September, 2022. And that is for presidential and national assembly candidates.

    “What the Commission has published, as of today, complies with Section 29(3) of the electoral act which says that the moment political parties comply with the provision of Section 29 (1) of the electoral act in terms of the submission of its validly nominated candidates, that the Commission shall publish the personal particulars of such candidates in the constituencies where the candidates intend to contest election.

    “In other words, for instance for a senatorial candidate, if a senatorial district covers four local governments, we will publish the personal particulars of such a candidate in the four local governments.

    “So that is exactly what we have done. And we published the personal particulrs of candidates that emerged from valid party primaries. And that’s what the law says we should do.

    “So, if the name of any candidate was not published, or if the personal particulars of any candidate was not published today, the implication is that such a candidate did not emerge from valid party primaries.”

  • I won’t step down for Lawan, Sen. Bashir tells APC

    I won’t step down for Lawan, Sen. Bashir tells APC

    A candidate of the All Progressives Congress and winner of Yobe North Senatorial District, Bashir Sheriff Machina, on Monday night vowed not to step down for Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.

    The development is coming five days after Lawan lost the APC presidential ticket to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at the party convention in Eagles Square.

    Lawan, who had since returned to his base to secure the party’s senatorial ticket for the Yobe North constituency, met strong resistance from Machina.

    Lawan had earlier replaced himself with Machina, who he entrusted with the task to carry on with the campaign to secure the APC ticket for the Yobe North Senatorial seat.

    The tension reached a climax last Friday when supporters of Machina organised a solidarity protest where they swore that the candidate won’t step down for Lawan, who has repeatedly represented the constituency since 2007.

    A defiant Machina has taken a step further to also write the leadership of the party on Monday, saying he is unwilling to give the mandate as he would rather prefer to slug it out with candidates of other political parties ahead of the February 25 elections.

    He wrote, “I write to reaffirm my continual aspiration as the All Progressives Congress unequivocal senatorial candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District, following my clearance and participation at the party primaries, where I put 289 votes out of the 300 total votes cast.

    “I write to reaffirm that I remain committed to the mandate which I won at the primaries and I have not in form or manner communicated otherwise. I have been informed of a purported malicious and mischievous report and insinuation to the contrary.

    “Please note that I never at any time signed or communicated in any form any intent to vacate the mandate, which was won at the primaries. I am totally committed to my mandate and I am working towards delivering Yobe North Senatorial District to our great party, the All Progressives Congress.”