Ahead of the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly and election of Presiding Officers on Tuesday, a former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, All Progressives Congress, APC, Borno South, yesterday, dismissed the “endorsement” of Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, APC, Yobe North, for the position of Senate President.

Ndume, who was responding to the 99 senators-elect, who allegedly signed and endorsed Lawan, however, vowed that he was not perturbed as he was not giving up on his aspiration to become the next Senate President.

According to him, Lawan should note that there were such endorsements for him by senators-elect in 2015 but, at the end of the day, that did not work as Senator Bukola Saraki, who was not endorsed, emerged as Senate President of the 8th Senate.

The senator noted that he was not worried about endorsements, but about the election, saying that his colleagues will vote on Tuesday for the candidate they feel is the best as also in accordance with their conscience.

Ndume said, “Well, I have said it before that I am not looking for endorsement but looking for votes on election day.

“You know clearly that there is a difference between endorsement and election. You will recall too that in 2015 that story of endorsement was canvassed. He had the endorsement, but what happened on the floor of the Senate was different. This kind of thing has been there all along, we have seen endorsements against several elections.

“As I have said before, by the grace of God, I will go into election on Tuesday and it has two sides, one is either I win or I loose. I do my number too and not by publishing my colleagues names. I believe that my colleagues will vote for the candidate they feel is suitable for the position of Senate President and they shall vote according to their conscience. I am not bothered about endorsements, rather I am worried about the election.

“We are there already and shall become past in a matter of hours from now.” (Sunday Vanguard)

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