By Nimi Princewill.
The three frontline candidates in the race for the senate presidency; Danjuma Goje, Ali Ndume and Ahmed Lawan are adding momentum to their cause of lobbying their way to the country’s exalted number three position, ahead of the National Assembly election of principal officers.
The three aspirants, Goje, Ndume and Lawan (all from the APC) are from the Northeast, which reinforces the party’s stance on zoning the position to the region, although, neither of the three enjoy consensus backing.
The National chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, is keen on having the ruling party produce the key officers of the Senate, but has the numerical strength of the PDP senators to contend with.
The PDP has 43 senators-elect, and are reported to be “very united and likely to produce a bloc vote” while the ruling APC has 65 senators-elect with conflicting political interests; arising from the party’s unpopular endorsement of Ahmed Lawan as the “anointed candidate.”
As the race for senate presidency intensifies, the three contenders have each engaged the services of mercenaries to negotiate terms with PDP lawmakers in hopes of strategic collaboration, ahead of the poll. It remains a mystery if financial inducement will be a potent tool in the lobbying process, as according to sources, neither of the aspiring senators have promised anything to the PDP caucus other than the promise of ‘inclusion.’
As follow up on the progress of the aspirants in galvanizing support from the opposition, INSIDER learnt that the past romance between the PDP, Goje and Ndume, added strength to their consultations with the PDP lawmakers.
Seemingly edged out of the familiarity contest, Lawan is reported to have changed tactics and has been reaching out to the opposition lawmakers, as he has never associated with the PDP for the entirety of the 20 years he has been in the National Assembly.