The preparation for the 2023 general elections was never an easy task for Senate President Ahmad Lawan, one of the longest serving lawmakers in Nigeria.
If we must give it to him, Lawan, has an unbeatable record of not cross carpeting to other political parties since he delved into politics, a journey, which landed him at the legislative segment- the national assembly in 1999.
A university lecturer from Gashua, Lawan, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 to represent the Bade/Jakusko Constituency under the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
After garnering the needed experience, he opted to serve his people and the country at large by moving to the upper legislative chamber without many battles.
Since then, the lawmaker showcased as a vital booster to both local and National Politics. He lost to Bukola Saraki in the Senate Presidency tussle in the 8th assembly but fought at the end to dislodged Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South for the office of the Senate leader.
He equipped himself with the A-Z of the legislative gimmicks during the 8th assembly, this empowerment helped him pass through the needle’s eye, thus, his emergence as the Senate President of the 9th assembly.
While everything initially seemed smooth, the Senate President had no premonition o, to rightly put it, ignored the fact that some persons from his constituency were gearing up to dislodge him from his exalted position of being counted as the third in command in the country’s political setting.
Lawan, who initially thought he had the support of the big wigs in the ruling party jumped into the presidential contest where the party ‘s National chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, boldly announced him as the party’s preferred candidate but sadly, he lost.
Though many readers may not be aware of the fact that there was a deal between the party at his constituency level with Bashir Sheriff Machina to pick the ticket while awaiting the outcome of the presidential primaries, that agreement was later altered to Lawan’s disappointment. This betrayal gave birth to the series of legal battles between both contenders.
Today, only Lawan can explain the battles he faced, the rivers he crossed and the seas he sailed that landed his boat at the Supreme Court as well as the lessons he has learnt.
Keen observers can attest that while he was enmeshed in his legal battles like an abandoned child, his appearance at the various APC rallies were at a low key. Today, the story has changed. Immediately the Supreme Court, Lawan declared him as the authentic candidate , the Senate President stormed Sokoto, and was seen urging voters to vote for the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the forthcoming polls.
Lawan expressed confidence that APC will win with a land slide despite the fact that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in power.
He said: “Your Excellency, Sokoto today is under the administration of PDP. We won the election in 2019. It was our victory and the clear manifestation and demonstration of what I am saying is this massive crowd. More than 80 percent of the people of Sokoto are APC members.
“Your Excellency, because of your good policies, the Federal Government did quite a lot and is still doing so. Your Excellency, because of the very good leadership provided by Senator Aliyu Wamakko in Sokoto State APC, today, despite the fact that we have a PDP administration, PDP is still in minority in Sokoto. APC is in majority.
“2023, by the Grace of God, we will reclaim our mandate here in Sokoto. The Governor of Sokoto, from 29th May, 2023 will be a Distinguished Honourable Ahmed Aliyu by the Grace of God. He is tested and trusted.
“Your Excellency, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, your brother, your friend, is going to be our President from 29th of May, 2023. We are so lucky in Nigeria today that we have a pair that had been in the Executive, sound in the Legislature and of course friends to everyone and everybody. We are going to vote for Ahmed Bola Tinubu for the presidency.”
Now that Lawan got his ticket, his mind is now in one place, campaigning for the APC.
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