Buhari to hold crunch talks with Goje and Ndume to get them to stand down for Lawan

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari is considering holding face-to-face crunch talks with senators Danjuma Goje and Ali Ndume in a bid to get them to stand down for Ahmad Lawan the All Progressives Congress' (APC) candidate for senate president.

On May 29, Nigeria's ninth senate will assume office, with its first role being to elect its principal officers, with the position of senate president being key. Already, the APC leadership has micro-zoned the position to Senator Lawan representing Yobe North Senatorial District but other lawmaker from his northeast geo-political zone are also interested in the job.

Despite the APC chairman Adams Oshiomhole making it clear that Senator Lawan is the party's favoured candidate, senators Ndume from Borno South Senatorial District and Goje from Gombe Central Senatorial District are also in the running. With both of them refusing to back down despite appeals from party leaders, President Buhari is now considering having a frank meeting with them in a bid to ensure the APC only fields one candidate.

One party source said: “The president will meet with Goje and Ndume to explain to them the rationale behind the adoption of Lawan as the party’s candidate for senate president. Some of the aspirants have claimed that Buhari has not stated where he stands on the matter, so in order not to take things for granted, the president has decided to hold a frank session with Goje and Ndume.

“ The meeting will hold at or before the weekend but after the dialogue, the president and the party may then draw the battle line if the two aspirants do not want to respect the supremacy of APC. We hope reason will prevail and these aspirants will leave the party united.”

In the meantime, Senator Lawan is trying to woo senators from the opposition Peoples democratic Party (PDP) but both sides are unable to agree on the modus operandi for voting. Senator Lawan and the APC leadership are adamant that there must be open voting but the opposition insist that the senate president must be elected by a secret ballot.

It is not yet clear if the PDP senators will vote as a block as so far the party is yet to announce what its plans are. Also, it is not yet clear what the PDP is demanding in return for supporting any candidate.