Ahmad Lawan, Senate leader, says he expects all senators on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to endorse him for the office of Senate president.
Lawan was reacting to the support Peter Nwaboshi, a PDP senator, declared for him.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, the Senate leader said Nigerians only care about the betterment of their lives and not the political parties lawmakers represent.
The senator said Nwoboshi’s endorsement is not a crack in the fence of the PDP but a show of patriotism.
“We are expecting the PDP senator-elects to – all of them, have an understanding with us and endorse me as a caucus,” he said.
“Let me first pay tribute first to senator Ifeanyi Uba of the YPP. Senator Ifeanyi Uba identified with our aspirations the first day the idea of running for this office [came to being] and he has been with us all through. We are campaigning together and sometimes he goes alone to spread our vision for the ninth assembly.
“Particularly to the endorsement by senator Peter Nwaboshi who is a serving senator and also a PDP senator, what the endorsement means is not a crack in the fence of the PDP but in the Senate, what the endorsement means is that feeling of patriotism, that feeling of the necessity of all of us that will be in the ninth Senate to work together in the national interest.
“That feeling that Nigerians don’t care what platform you represent in the Senate, what Nigerians care for will be what the ninth is able to do to better their lives.
“What Nigerians care for is the improvement in the security of their lives and properties. What Nigerians care about is how the economy will be improved and enhanced and revitalised so that it is an all-inclusive economy.
“An economy that will work for those at the lowest level of the ladder and those at the highest level. Those who will great the businesses and those who will need to be employed.”
Lawan said although, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has brought the country out of recession, a lot more needs to be done.
“We know that this administration has done a lot in the last four years, getting out recession to a growth per cent of between two and three percent of the GDP today but we are still faced with that challenge if expanding the economy, diversifying the economy or providing employment of our teeming youth who need to have accommodation in the economy,” the Senate leader said.
“That is what Nigerians expect the national assembly to do with the executive arm of government.”
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