The Senator representing Delta North in the outgoing Senate, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi said on Friday that he would throw his weight behind the Senate Majority Leader in the 8th Assembly, Senator Ahmad Lawan ( APC Yobe North), to emerge as the Senate President of the 9th Assembly.
Nwaoboshi, who stated this at a media briefing in the National Assembly, Abuja, which was attended by the Senior Special Assistant ( SSA) to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters ( Senate), Senator Ita Enang said that he made the open declaration since his party, the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) has no candidate for the position.
He added that even if his party, the PDP takes a position to support another candidate, a Senator has the right to decide who to support for the position.
He added that his constituents, Anioma people of Delta State have stated their preference for Senator Ahmad Lawan.
According to him, though he didn’t support Lawan’s aspiration for the same position in the now outgoing 8th Senate in 2015, the reality on the ground as far as the 9th Senate is concerned indicated that Lawan is the most qualified candidate.
He added that Lawal was first elected into the National Assembly in 1999 adding that he remained one of the longest-serving lawmakers in the chamber.
He said: “All those contesting for the position, have approached me for support and as a student of history, I’ve studied their backgrounds which clearly show that in terms of experience, Lawan is the one with the requisite legislative experience.
” I have found in him, competence and the required intelligence legislatively and politically to steer the ship of the leadership of the 9th Senate and by extension, that of the 9th National Assembly. “
The Senator also declared that opposition of many PDP Senators to Lawan has been watered down by recent pronouncement by the Deputy National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress ( APC) Senator Lawal Shuaibu that leadership at both chambers cannot be imposed but through consensus across party lines.
He said the best the PDP leadership would do would is to give the elected members of the incoming Ninth Senate, the direction to follow but not to necessarily impose a candidate on them.
He stated: “The PDP has not taken a decision as a political party as far as the presiding officers of the Ninth Senate is concerned. Our party has not also told us the candidate we should vote for.
“I know the PDP leaders will not say this is the candidate they want. They would only give us a guideline. I also have a right as the representative of my people to determine what is good for the Anioma people.
“I am a loyal PDP man. I have not left the PDP and it is not part of my agenda to do. However, regarding the leadership of the Ninth Senate, I know my people would be happy with my choice of Lawan.
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“My people know what they benefitted from the support that I gave the incumbent Senate President. I can make a choice on my people’s behalf because I have lived among them over the years.”
The Senator also addressed the tussle between him and Hon Ned Nwoko, which he just won at the Appeal Court and dismissed insinuations that his challenger, Ned Nwoko, would present a Certificate of Return issued to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission for inauguration on June 11.
He said: “Once the election has been declared and the certificate of return issued to the winner,  it is only the highest court in the land that can order the withdrawal of the certificate.
“I have my certificate of return. Nobody has withdrawn it. What was issued to Ned Nwoko was a piece of paper and not a certificate of return. I was the one that contested the election had declared him in the primaries.”
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