Kenneth Udeh from Abuja

Senate President, Ahmed Lawan alongside the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, today visited Katsina State as part of consultations ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

The Senate President's visit form part of his campaign engagements in line with his presidential bid , speaking to newsmen the frontline Presidential aspirant stated that his aspiration is based on his capacity as a Nigerian who is qualified to be President and not as a northern aspirant as is being insinuated in some quarters.

"I am not running as a northern aspirant because the impression created is that I'm a northern aspirant or that northerners are saying they are not going to allow power to the South.

"I'm not running as a northern candidate. I'm running as a Nigerian Presidential aspirant and therefore I come with all my qualifications for that office and people should judge me on the basis of what I have to offer," Lawan said in Katsina.

The Senate President was in Katsina to seek the support of party members, particularly the delegates for his presidential bid ahead of the party primaries later this month.

Lawan made the address at a meeting with some members of the Katsina State House of Assembly who came to see him. They were led by the Speaker of the House, Hon.Tasiu Musa Maigari. 

Lawan who is one of the longest serving Nigerian Federal lawmakers having been elected into the National Assembly since 1999 said he possessed the requisite experience and qualifications that put him at an advantage over other aspirants.

"We have been around for sometime. Thank God, from 2019, we have been working with the President of our Party, President Muhammadu Buhari, very closely. I know and I understand most of the national issues that we  deal with.

"I'm a participant in this government and I use that as one advantage that I have. Even though I'm a parliamentarian, I have some experience in governance. Real experience. Therefore, we are going round to tell Nigerians that we are available.

"The fact that we came out last speaks volumes, because I didn't just wake up one morning and say I want to be President. It took a lot of time for those who believe in me to talk to me to also throw my hat in the ring. And after some time, I accepted.

"And that is to say that some people are not satisfied with those they are seeing and they think that we can do better. I have a great deal of respect for those who are running. The other aspirants.

"And I believe that I have my advantages and I'm going to use my advantages by the Grace of God to not only emerge as the candidate of our party but also win the general elections.

"And I'm not running like someone from the northeast, I'm running as a Nigerian because I believe that I understand the issues of development in Nigeria today.

"And as a participant in this administration, I know that this administration succeeded in some ways and has not succeeded as much in others and therefore, those areas in which we succeeded, it's for me to continue to build on them.

"Those areas that we have found ourselves in deficit, that we have not been able to succeed as much, it's for us to work on them
I am a product of this administration and my party and therefore I commit myself to the ideals of my party.

"I commit myself to the ideals of this administration because it takes every effort by everyone to bring development. Mr President will be finishing his term in 2023 as we all know but his ideals are there and his ideals are to develop our country," Lawan said.

The Senate President also told a large gathering of party leaders and delegates, with the State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari in attendance, why he should be considered to be the Presidential candidate of the party in the forthcoming primaries.

"It will be 23 years on the 4th of June this year that I have been in the National Assembly. My experiences, I believe, are adequate because I have worked with people like you(Governor Masari) and today, I'm working with our President, President Muhammadu Buhari who is leading the APC administration.

"For me, this is an experience that I cherish. This is an experience that makes me think that I have the capacity, that I have the ability, that I have the training, that I have the audacity and the courage to stay in that office in Abuja, in the Villa, to lead the affairs of this country with people like you around me.

"It is not abnormal that a Senator can be a President. In the US, even the current President(Joe Biden) was in the Senate. Former President Obama was in the Senate and therefore I believe that, coming from the Legislature, with some experience from the Executive because I have been working very closely with the President, I have the requisite experience to lead the affairs of this country," Lawan said.

In his response, Governor Masari described Lawan as a very reliable and dependable person.

"When he called me, I told him he should have gone to other places because whatever is possible, whatever we can do for him, we will do it," Masari said.

In his address the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu who accompanied Lawan to the political engagement told journalists that the North East is the only region who empathize with the pains of the South East for being shut out of the Presidential seat.


“The two zones remain the only zones that are yet to produce a president despite having the most capable hands to govern the country,” Kalu argued

“I believe in regional zoning and I will continue to repeat it as long as the issue of ‘Equity, Fairness and Justice’ is concerned. My reason is not only because it worked in 1999 when all the parties zoned their presidential tickets to the South West, but because it is the only true definition of fairness and equity.

“My clamor for the South East to produce the president after President Muhammadu Buhari was borne out of the enormous clamour and desire for the development and strengthening of our dear nation.

“I have also maintained that anything less than SouthEast must be North East, otherwise it is hypocrisy and wickedness. The South East has given its full support to the South West and the South-South and when it got to the turn of the South East, the language changed to ‘Power is not given but taken’.

“In the absence of this clear non-agreement of the southern brothers to support zoning of the tickets to the South East, I wielded my support to the North East with the hope that justice is closer to the South East,” the lawmaker explained.

The Senate President was also accompanied by Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, Senator Bello Mandiya and former Senator Tafida Umar.

https://thewhisperer.ng/2022/05/19/lawan-in-katsina-to-woo-delegates-ahead-of-apc-presidential-primaries/

No mkpurumiri will ever near asorock

Good one

The incompetence in this man is almost as strong as the one in Buhari . I just pray he does not become president or else we are finished

Kalu, the awaiting Senate president no doubt

Ashiere Tinubu can go and die with his useless ambition we don't care ...

It is either power go to the south east or the north retains power

When ur mate are almost through you just start.....

We members of the Afonja 30k amala and ewedu stipend gang must fight dirty. On the weak scrotum of Baba Iragbiji we stand. Las las our baba go decamp to SDP.

Signed,
HelliAnus,
Iragbiji ward 1

PrinceOfLagos:
Kalu, the awaiting Senate president no doubt

Ashiere Tinubu can go and die with his useless ambition we don't care ...

It is either power go to the south east or the north retains power

You claim you are a yoruba man but you always abuse yoruba race, does that even make any sense? No yoruba man will ever call Tinubu "Ashiere" regardless of anything. Yorubas are not known for disrespecting elders.

A beautiful chess game perfected by Bubu/Adamu.

Finally even if Lawan emerges candidate, Omo Igbo will be his Vice, leaving the sophisticated moro'ns no where.

Let the game begin!

I foresee a Lawan/Kalu ticket (APC) and an Atiku/Obi ticket (PDP). Like for Lawan/Kalu.... Share for Atiku/Obi

Season of Hausa regalia

The greediness of the YORUBAS to continuously take the turn of other Southerners will make the North to continue ruling.

USELESS old fools and empty heads.



The one you fools have been managing all these years, HOW HAVE YOU PERFORMED??

Can't wait for this APC primaries, lots of drama is waiting to happen. Wailing and gnashing of teeth will be the aftermath of the of the election.

We might witness some cross-carpeting too, it's even happening before the election self.

kalu that should be supporting Obi, the Igbos are never serious

This May be Bubu'$ anointed one

4ckyou:
kalu that should be supporting Obi, the Igbos are never serious

Instead of Tinubu let the North take it.

You are more concerned about where power goes and not what future holds for you and your unborn generation?

If Tinubu becomes president, what will it mean for your future... Not much.

If power goes to the SE or North, what will it do for your future... Not much.

Plot your future, be open to sieve their agenda and choose one and you don't need to curse any of them.

PrinceOfLagos:
Kalu, the awaiting Senate president no doubt

Ashiere Tinubu can go and die with his useless ambition we don't care ...

It is either power go to the south east or the north retains power

This might just be the much talked about Buhari's annoited/consensus candidate. Does he have the finesse and capacity to fix Nigeria? I think the answer is a big NO. He'll perform worse than his brother from the NW

PrinceOfLagos:
Kalu, the awaiting Senate president no doubt

Ashiere Tinubu can go and die with his useless ambition we don't care ...

It is either power go to the south east or the north retains power

But u want Amaechi?

Reason why most of u haters on nairaland are foolish and confused, u don't know what u want...d only thing in ur useless head is hate, PDP that u guys have been voting all dis while u did not make demand from them, u were supporting Amaechi calling him d chosen 1 and now u r supporting lawan again all just to see SW out forgetting south east won't still gain anything at d end of d day, some of u will even say if power is not coming to south east north should continue as if SE have d voting strength

hmmmm

The rubber stamp is expecting the pendulum to swing his way based on permutations. We can't afford to have such a docile incompetent fellow at the helm of affairs

Haywhysat:


You claim you are a yoruba man but you always abuse yoruba race, does that even make any sense? No yoruba man will ever call Tinubu "Ashiere" regardless of anything. Yorubas are not known for disrespecting elders.

Its obvious that his parents in imo are d ashiere and oloriburuku...don't mind d ipigs

Haywhysat:


You claim you are a yoruba man but you always abuse yoruba race, does that even make any sense? No yoruba man will ever call Tinubu "Ashiere" regardless of anything. Yorubas are not known for disrespecting elders.

He is a useless and hateful IPOBian. Everyone here knows that. Another thing that gives Igbos away is their hypocrisy and lack of principles, uprightness or moral consistency.

Imagine if it is a Yoruba doing what Kalu is doing. The North has been in power 8 years and a prominent Yoruba politician is now campaigning passionately for a Northerner to replace Buhari.

This thread would be 80 pages and full of comments from Igbos making the same accusation i.e "Afonja betraying the South".

Here they are even backing Kalu and endorsing his disgraceful 'turncoat' action because they and Kalu have the same goal i.e do whatever it takes to ensure Yorubas are frustrated and denied.

I only pity 'blind' Yorubas who do not know their real and worst enemy in the universe and are still supporting malevolent and vindictive Igbos in any shape or form.

triple996:
No mkpurumiri will ever near asorock

the true Igbos has rejected the cursed Abuja only those with selfish interests want it