Nathaniel Zaccheaus
The Senate held a special valedictory session in honour of the newly elected National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, his Deputy, Senator Abubakar Kyari and the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Mohammed Hassan, on Wednesday.
The session started with a presentation from the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North). Leader.
He described the APC National Chairman as an experienced and competent person for the job.
The Senators took turns to extol the qualities of the three senators.
Senators Ali Ndume (APC Borno South), and James Manager (Delta South), how the nation’s ever made a case for some senators to enjoy automatic tickets to avoid brain drain in the nation’s apex legislative institution.
Ndume said, “Now that we have people from here as leaders of the party, you have the responsibility. It is not about us, it is about the Senate.
“It is not about Ndume being a Senator from Southern Borno but protecting the position of the Senate or the representation from the southern Borno having someone that served from two, three or four terms.
“You know that the rate of turnover is very worrisome. It is not because the legislators are not performing, we need you the chairman to protect the institution and this institution is made up of individuals with a wealth of experience. Nigerians are expecting a lot from the institution.”
The manager also appealed to Adamu and Kyari to protect Senate as an institution by making sure that highly experienced lawmakers were returned in 2023.
He said, “The first test for you will be, to protect those who are here, not me, because we are not in the same political party.
“Everyone is in danger in one way or the other. Yesterday (Tuesday), this place was very scanty because everyone is in danger.
“So, I will urge you, particularly the national chairman of APC, as you go there, please protect those who are in danger.
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“You know how it is done. Those of us on this site will be watching with keen interest. We know who you are, we know what you can do. Try your best for all of us.”
Responding, Adamu agreed with the submissions of Ndume and the Manager and said some highly experienced lawmakers deserved to return to the red chamber in 2023.
The APC Chairman assured that the newly elected lawmakers in the APC would protect the integrity of the National Assembly within the confines of the party and its processes.
He said, “Some of you are the best materials that this country can have but you are in the wrong camp.
“I was a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998, I took the flag of PDP to Nasarawa State.
“I served as a Governor on the platform of PDP, I served as secretary to the Board of Trustees of PDP.
“They said it as if to remind me as a person who put in abundant service, nobody has asked me why did you break the bondage between you and PDP.
“It is in my heart of hearts those of you who are willing to reach out to the higher pedestal of life, our hands are opened and we are stretching the hands to you.
“I assure you amongst you there is the best Governor Abia State had ever had, amongst you, there is a good Governor to be that is being denied, come over we are very human, very fair. We play according to the rules of the game.
“So I assure you that I will continue to cherish our relationship. I hope and pray that you will see the light and come over to the All Progressives Congress (APC). I remain eternally grateful,
” I have made friends here, we have faced the most challenging moments in this chamber and as such sometimes we do certain things”
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Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe commended the APC for choosing their chairman, someone that the PDP had groomed and also the Secretary of the BoT of the PDP.
He said, “We are happy. He came here as a PDP Senator and now taking over the APC to do a great job that Nigeria has thrust on his shoulders.
“The bridge builder, we are very happy that you have also gone to show them how democracy works. We also want to thank our dear colleague the Deputy National Chairman (North) of the APC.
“You have not finished your work here but we are going to donate you to still go and do your job.
A cross-section of Senators who spoke during the valedictory session urged Sena
tor Abdullahi Adamu and Senator Abubakar Kyari to strive and lead the APC to victory in 2023.
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Also, Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), commended Senator Adamu for laying the foundation of Nasarawa State andfor strides in developing the education sector.
He noted that as the first Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Senator Adamu was able to ensure harmony among members irrespective of diverse political persuasion.
He noted that the new National Chairman contributed to the growth of Agriculture in Nigeria as Chairman of the Farmer’s Association of Nigeria and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
A frontline aspirant for the National Chairmanship position APC, Senator Sani Musa (Niger East), said the emergence of Senator Adamu as APC National Chairman was the best decision made by the APC.
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He said, “We will stand by him, work with him and do all the foot soldiering to see that he succeeds”, he said.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in his contribution, described the emergence of four members (serving and former) of the National Assembly as party executives of the APC was a remarkable development in the political evolution and history of Nigeria.
He said, “That the National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman (North), National Secretary and National Auditor are all people who are either completing their service in the Senate or were here before.
“What this goes to show is that the legislature is coming of age, that the legislature is now contributing to the political development and stability of our country, and we shouldn’t take this for granted.
