Race for the President of the 9th Senate officially got widened on Monday with open declaration to that effect by Senator Ali Ndume ( APC Borno South).
The current Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan (APC Yobe North), had on Friday last week , made similar declaration at a media briefing in Abuja .
But Ndume who was predecessor of Lawan as Senate Leader in the current 8th Senate, expressed his intention for the position through a letter of intent dated March 25, 2019 and addressed to the APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
Ndume in the letter said the decision to seek election into the exalted office was borne out of his desire to help accelerate socio-economic development of the nation.
He explained in the letter that he was throwing his hat into the ring believing that the Senate President position would be zoned to the North-east geo-political zone where he hails from.
The letter reads in part: “Following the successful conduct of the 2019 general election and the overwhelming victory of our great party the APC at all levels, I hereby forward my letter of intent to contest for the office of the President of the Senate in the 9th National Assembly,” the letter read in part.
“I wish to emphasize that my decision to contest for the Senate Presidency is informed by my conviction to contribute my quota to nation building.
“Calls from respected party (members) both within the North East and other parts of the country have motivated and encouraged this aspiration.
“For these reasons and more, I wish to forward myself for the blessings of the Party, my Colleagues in the Senate and fellow Nigerians for the post of the President of the Senate.”
He expressed optimism “that the Party leadership will see the desired wisdom in zoning the Senate Presidency to the North-East due to our sterling performance in the 2019 polls, giving the President the second highest votes cast.”
He said the position would enable him to also fulfill the aspirations of the insurgency -ravaged people of the North East whose respite came with the coming of APC government in 2015 just as he assured of his capacity to deliver on party policies and programmes, saying, “My vast legislative experience and my deep desire to take Nigeria to the next level of development are reasons for contesting”.
Ndume before serving as Senate leader between June 2015 and January 2017 in the current 8th Senate, had earlier served as minority leader in the 6th House of Representatives .
