ABUJA, Nigeria — The political theater is heating up in Nigeria as incumbent Senate President Ahmed Lawan confirmed he will seek another term in the 10th National Assembly.
The surprise move was revealed on Monday, May 22, 2023, following a weekend meeting in Abuja.
Lawan, who originally hails from Yobe State, is opting to run for re-election alongside Senator Osita Izunaso from Imo State for the Deputy Senate President role, setting the stage for an intriguing battle.
This political pairing comes amidst competition from other influential Senate members like Godswill Akpabio, Jubrin Barau, Orji Uzor Kalu, and Abdulaziz Yari.
The decision for Lawan to remain in the political arena came after the culmination of various discussions and deliberations.
“The Senate President is running. He has chosen to pair up with Senator Osita Izunaso from Imo State to realize his ambition,” revealed a reliable source close to the Senate President.
Lawan’s campaign is reportedly being bolstered by a consortium of powerful allies, including Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (YPP, Anambra), Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger), Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, and oil magnate Chief Emeka Offor.
However, Lawan is not the only chess piece being moved in the political game. The minority caucus in the House of Representatives, under the Greater Majority, has decided to appoint state and zonal coordinators to scout for a consensus candidate for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions.
Hon. Fred Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa), the convener of the Greater Majority, outlined the group’s strategy during a meeting in Abuja. He emphasized the need for consultation with state leaders and stakeholders to ensure that collective decisions are reached without the surprise of unexpected alliances.
“Your conveners and other leaders have not either on your behalf or for you adopted anybody for the office of presiding officers. That will only take place when that agreement is reached by all of us,” Agbedi explained.
“In all the interactions we have made, our leaders have authoritatively told us that they have not given mandate to their members-elect to identify with Mr. A or Mr. B.”
Agbedi concluded, “Let me quickly say that if we must do the right thing, if we must actually represent our people, we need to be guided and to be guided, we mean that we need to interact with our leaders in our constituencies, we need to interact with our colleagues from the various states, we need to interact with our party stakeholders and all that in arriving at a decision that will be well for us.”
As the days draw closer to the election of the 10th National Assembly, Nigerians watch the unfolding political drama with bated breath, wondering who will eventually checkmate the board of power.
