New Telegraph

APC Presidential Ticket: I’m hopeful of emerging – Lawan

 

Johnchuks Onuanyim, Abuja

After the Presidential screening of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday night, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan said he was hopeful of emerging as the consensus candidate of the party.

Lawan is one of the 23 Presidential aspirants for the ticket of the APC.

He was screened alongside the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, former Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

The Senate President, speaking to journalists said he would not object to any consensus arrangements of the party.

He, however, maintained that he has what it takes to defeat any other presidential candidate of a political party.

Commenting on the screening, he said: “The screening was very successful. I was asked very fundamental questions about our party stands for progress, about what I believe that I can bring to the presidency of Nigeria.

“Of course, our party stands for progress, national stability and what we have done in the last seven years as an administration, we have recorded so much successes across the country but we also have some challenges we have to deal with.

“As someone who is aspiring to be the candidate for APC and by the grace of God the president in 2023, I have gone through the nails. I have worked before I came into the National Assembly in 1999 and I am still in the National Assembly having served for eight years in the House of Representatives.

“I chaired the two strategic, critical and very important committees of education and agriculture in the House and served as chairman of public accounts for eight years, served as chairman of Defence Committee in the Senate, served as Senate leader and served as presiding officer and Senate President today. I have worked very closely with Mr President, Muhammadu Buhari in my capacity as Senate Leader. I know the issues of developments, where we have recorded so much successes, I know where we have to rework the tool and rekit our system, strategy and operations.

“And by the Grace of God, if I am given the opportunity, Nigeria will experience improved security, economy and I want to reform the educational sector that will serve the sons and daughters of nobody so that we are able to take away from the street the 15 or so million out-of-school children.

“I want to see a situation where I will come as the elected party candidate and, of course, go ahead to defeat the PDP and other political parties to win the presidency for APC and for Nigeria.”

On consensus, he said: “We are sons and daughters of the same father and mother, those of us in APC, all of us who took the forms and to run for the highest office for the presidency believing in the same philosophy and ideology of our party. Therefore, we are one and the same thing. I will support anybody who rules the party and who the president thinks can do well for us. I have no problem with that. I want to also believe that at the end of the day, I will emerge.”

Read Previous

Insecurity: Ogun CP orders clamp down on unregistered vehicles, motorbikes

Read Next

Nadal beats Djokovic in late-night Paris thriller

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *