President Bola Tinubu Thursday met with the Senate President Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila to discuss how the incoming leadership of the 10th National Assembly can be elected in the best interest of the nation.
Tinubu’s preferred candidate for the Senate presidency is former Akwa Ibom State governor and Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akoabio; and Hon Tanudeen Abbas from Kaduna State for Speakership slot.
Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, Lawan said the President emphasized that the emergence will be for the national interest, interest of the National Assembly and the legislature adding that ‘everybody matters in this process.’
Lawan said: “We are getting somewhere and I prayer is we are able to resolve all the outstanding issues by the grace of God. And mr President is positively disposed to everything being done smoothly.
“We also believe that Mr. President having been a senator himself and his vice president also having been a senator, this is something that they will always wish and pray for.”
As the chairman of the 9th National Assembly, Lawan said that he found it dutiful and necessary to work with all the major stakeholders especially the leadership of our country.
He explained that the President gave his necessary opinion and advice on how the new leadership of the National Assembly should emerge and what they needed to do to ensure stability, productivity of the National Assembly and to ensure peaceful relationship between the legislature and the executive arm of government.
“I have never indicated interest to run for the office of the president of the senate in the 10 National Assembly. We have worked together with distinguished senators of the 9th national assembly and members of House of Representatives to create a very Clement environment for us to work.
“We have been productive, much more productive than any National Assembly. We have worked very closely with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and of course that helped the administration also.
“My prayer and wish and hope is that we are able to have peaceful transition who are outgoing to a new set of leaders of National Assembly and who will continue to unite everybody in the National Assembly, in the senate,” the Senate President said.
According to him they want to have a leadership in the senate that will unite senators to work so well regardless of their political parties, the same thing in the House of Representatives.
“But the truth is I have never indicated interest to run but I have a responsibility to the Senate, the National Assembly having been in the National Assembly for 24 years now, especially when we have 70 percent of members in the National Assembly.
“Those of us who have been there longer, owe everybody that responsibility to at least help mentoring those who are new if we are not going to be presiding officers or principal positions,” he said.
The Senate President who said he did not wish to be one of the principal officers, added that he had played his part and was happy that they have played their part, they have made positive impact.
“We have had our fair share of shortcomings but I can hold my head high on behalf of all my colleagues in the Senate and the National Assembly that this National Assembly have contributed to national development in no mean measure and have succeeded in getting very critical legislation passed and assented to by the former President,” Lawan explained.
