NASS Leadership: PDP Endorses Ndume, Bago

By Jide Afolabi, Jos

The main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has thrown its weight behind Senator Ali Ndume for Senate President and Honourable Umar Bago for the Speaker of the House of Representatives in today’s National Assembly election.

The party stated this in a press release issued by its National Secretary, Senator Umar Ibrahim Tsauri stating that the decision was “in the best interest of the nation, in line with our party’s determination to deepen democracy, ensure a strong and independent legislature, strict compliance with the principle of separation of powers as well as constitutional checks and balances in the polity.”

The statement said, “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after very extensive consultations with critical stakeholders resolves to support Senator Ali Ndume and Hon. Umar Mohammed Bago for Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively, ahead of National Assembly inauguration on Tuesday.”

The party noted that the resolution to support the duo was taken after meetings with members of the “National Working Committee, party leaders, state governors as well as Senators and members-elect on the platform of the PDP.”

The party, therefore, directed all Senators and members-elect on its platform to be guided accordingly.

PDP position is a contrast to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, endorsement of Senator Ahmed Lawan for the Senate President and Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila for the Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.

CityMirrorNews recall that in 2015, PDP played a similar role where it supported Senator Bukola Saraki against Senator Ahmed Lawan who was the party’s candidate for the Senate Presidency and Honourable Yakubu Dogara against Femi Gbajabiamila who was the party’s candidate for the post of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Both Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila have expressed confidence that they would win the elections today as they both claimed that they have gotten enough numbers across party lines to make them emerge winners of the elections.