TheCable

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed delight at the election of Ahmed Lawan as senate leader.

Lawan was the favourite of the APC for senate president, but Bukola Saraki outsmarted the party to clinch the position. Afterwards, the party leadership in the upper legislative chamber was plunged into a crisis.

To break the impasse, the APC offered Lawan the position of senate leader, but its caucus at the senate rejected him, picking Ali Ndume instead.

However, on Tuesday, Saraki announced that Lawan was the new senate leader based on the decision of the party’s caucus.

In a statement afterwards, Bolaji Abdullahi, APC spokesman, said the party welcomed the development at the senate.

He said it showed the party could resolve its own internal problems.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) welcomes the development in the senate, which led to the replacement of the former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume with Senator Ahmed Lawan, both members of our great party,” he said.

“The party views this as concrete expression of faith by the APC Senate Caucus in our efforts to resolve the lingering issues that have trailed the election of Senate leadership. We believe this is a major step forward in our efforts to reunite the various interest groups in that senate election, thereby presenting a common legislative front for our great party.

“We are particularly delighted that the consultations that were initiated towards the end of 2015 between the party caucuses in the national assembly and the party executives as well as other leading stakeholders of our party has yielded these results and the senate has demonstrated its willingness to finally submit to the will of the party in this regard.

“Recall that soon after the issue of election in the senate occurred, the party leadership had resolved that Senator Lawan be compensated with the position of the senate leader. Sadly, that directive was not fully complied with at the time.

“But we are happy to see this change effected, which represents a significant progress in our efforts to build a strong and united party. With this development therefore, we are confident that the issues arising from the elections in the senate in 2015 have been put to rest.”