Ahmed Lawan
By Our Reporter
After losing the All Progressives Congress APC Presidential primary election which was won by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has landed himself in a political bind as the winner of the Yobe North APC senatorial primary election, Bashir Machina, has reportedly refused to step down for him.
Lawan is now facing a case of double jeopardy having lost his bid for the APC presidential ticket and now his planned bid to take the senatorial ticket is reportedly problematic.
Lawan, who has been in tbe Senate since 2007, and in the National Assembly since 1999 (having spent 12 years in the House of Reps before moving up to the Senate) came fourth at the last week presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress.
Bola Tinubu trounced all other aspirants with landslide margin to pocket the party’s presidential ticket.
The Senate President was initially announced by Abdullahi Adamu, the APC National Chairman, as the consensus candidate of the party, but 13 Northern governors kicked against the idea of retaining power in the North.
Report said that since the winner of the senatorial primary poll had refused to step down, the Senate president was now mounting pressure on the presidency to get back his senatorial ticket.
All effort by Lawan’s cronies to convince Machina to step down for the president of the Senate failed as the senatorial candidate insisted that he won’t withdraw.
Insightlinks quoted sources to have said that Lawan was secretly given the INEC form by the APC headquarters to fill for submission.
Report said he didn’t participate in the senatorial primary election which took place in Gashua town on May 28.
In the primary poll, Mr Machina, who was the sole candidate, got 289 votes.
According to sources, Lawan, in concert with the APC National Vice Chairman, North East, Mustapha Salihu, was trying to “forcefully take over” the ticket from Mr Machina.
When contacted on the allegations, the APC National Vice Chairman, North East said he never interfered in the local party decisions in Yobe.
“I don’t interfere with local party arrangement in states. Yobe has its own unique way of primaries, which is a general consensus.
“All aspirants who obtained the party’s nomination forms nationwide have filled the withdrawal forms, which is a clear consent to withdraw in case of any superior interest, and with the consent of the party stakeholders in the state.
“I’m aware that it is a national party policy for aspirants who lost the presidential ticket to return to their seats in the Senate. You can see Godswill Akpabio has already reclaimed his senatorial ticket,” Mr Salihu added.
However, Akpabio has been rejected by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Akwa Ibom state, sticking to the earlier winner of the primary in Akwa Ibom North-West, DIG Udom Ekpo (retd).
