Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan
has formally announce his intention to run for Senate Presidency in the 9the Senate.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja recently, Lawan promised to run a bi-partisan National Assembly if elected as Senate President.
He also promised to respect the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) should the party decide to zone the position away from North-east.
Mr Lawan, who represents Yobe North is vying for the position for the second time. In 2015, the APC endorsed him following zoning of the position of the president of the Senate to the North-east.
He did not make it as the incumbent, Bukola Saraki, emerged president of the Senate though against his party’s wish.
Speaking on Legislature, Executive relationship, Mr Lawan said while the separation of powers was designed to ensure checks and balances among the arms of government, the ultimate goal was to serve the people.
He emphasised that to achieve cordial relationship with the executive, the lawmakers ought to work in unison.
“I always say that the Constitution provides for separation of powers and I always define separation of powers may be unorthodox but I believe in that.
“The separation of powers does not amount to the independence of government.
“It is the specialisation of the arms of government. The executive cannot function without the legislature and the legislature needs to work with the executive in a cordial manner.
“However, that does not take away that special function of oversight. It does not take away ensuring that what we do in the legislature is to support the executive
Who says we will never disagree with the executive; by constitutional design, we are meant to disagree, hold different perspectives from time to time on issues.
“But when we disagree, I always say, we should sit down and look at issues and take a decision that is in national interest, ” he said.
Mr Lawan promised to respect the wish of the party, should the position be zoned to a region other than the North-east.
He said, “I am a loyal party man. I will respect the decisions of my leaders and my party.”
Mr Lawan ruled out the possibility of crisis in the APC over the leadership of the 9th National Assembly.
“We are not in any way thinking that we will have crises; it is not what we are envisaging at all’’.
“But let me say that our party, the APC, must have learnt its lessons, and therefore, the party leadership will do something differently this time.
“I am sure our leaders will try to manage this huge success of the APC.
“And I have no doubt the party will find us compliant and very supportive of its programmes and those of the administration under President Muhammadu Buhari,’’ he said
