It is a double loss for the President of the Senate, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan as the winner of the Yobe North APC senatorial primaries, Bashir Machina, has refused to step down for him.
Lawan, who has been in tbe Senate since 2007, came fourth at the last week presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress. Bola Tinubu had won the APC ticket.
The Senate President was initially announced by Abdullahi Adamu, the APC National Chairman, as the consensus candidate of the party, but 13 Northern governors kicked against the idea of retaining power in the North.
It was gathered that since the winner of the senatorial primaries refused to step down, the Senate president is now mounting pressure on the presidency to get back his senatorial ticket.
All effort by Lawan’s cronies to convince Machina to step down for the president of the Senate failed as the senatorial candidate insisted that he won’t withdraw.
According to sources, Mr Lawan was secretly given the INEC form by the APC headquarters to fill for submission, although he didn’t submit himself for party screening and didn’t participate in the senatorial primary election which took place in Gashua town on May 28.
In the primaries, Mr Machina, who was the sole candidate, got 289 votes.
According to sources, Lawan, in concert with the APC National Vice Chairman, North East, Mustapha Salihu, is trying to ‘forcefully take over’ the ticket from Mr Machina.
When contacted on the allegations, the APC National Vice Chairman, North East said he never interfered in the local party decisions in Yobe.
“I don’t interfere with local party arrangement in states. Yobe has its own unique way of primaries, which is a general consensus.
“All aspirants who obtained the party’s nomination forms nationwide have filled the withdrawal forms, which is a clear consent to withdraw in case of any superior interest, and with the consent of the party stakeholders in the state.
“I’m aware that it is a national party policy for aspirants who lost the presidential ticket to return to their seats in the Senate. You can see Godswill Akpabio has already reclaimed his senatorial ticket,” Mr Salihu added.
READ ALSO: I won’t relinquish my senatorial ticket for you no matter the pressure – Ex-DIG tell Akpabio
However, Akpabio has been rejected by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Akwa Ibom state, sticking to the earlier winner of the primary in Akwa Ibom North-West, DIG Udom Ekpo (rtd).
