2023 Presidency: Lawan Gains More Support, North Insists On Power |The Source

By Tosin Olatokunbo

The presidential ambition of Ahmad Lawan, Nigeria’s Senate President is gaining momentum, even though he has denied having interest in the job.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s two years terms ends by 2023 and many politicians including Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the former Lagos state governor and All Progressives Congress, APC National Leader have shown interest in succeeding the incumbent.

Tinubu was instrumental to the emergence of Lawan as Senate President and was said to have pulled his weight behind him, in exchange for helping him to contest the presidency in 2023.

Apart from Lawan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila also rode on the former Lagos helmsman to his position.

But if signals coming from the political space are anything to go by, the Senate President may have jettisoned the ambition of Tinubu to pursue his own, considering pressure being mounted on him to join the race.

Few weeks ago, Lawan disclosed that he’s not nursing presidential ambition, that he has left the race to other politicians.

But sources close to him told the magazine that things may be changing gradually as the number of groups urging him to throw his hat in the ring has continue to increase.

The latest of such are the traditional rulers and politicians from Oke – Ogun zone, Oyo State, who on Monday stormed the National Assembly complex, Abuja to put pressure on him to run.

They include all federal lawmakers from the Zone, a former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, the Okere of Shaki, Oba Khalid Olabisi Oyeniyi, Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba AbdulGaniyu Adekunle Salau, and others.

Speaking on behalf of the obas yesterday, Barrister Ahmed Raji, a senior advocate told the Senate President that the traditional rulers and political leaders from the zone would support him if he decided to run for president.

Raji said, “Mr Senate President, we have followed your trajectory over the years and happy to submit that while in the House of Representatives, you made your impacts felt and in the Senate, you have made your marks.

“The people of Oke- Ogun want you to use such a trajectory in getting the planned Federal University of Agriculture and Technology passed into law and implemented.”

The traditional rulers said they will be happy if he becomes the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces when the tenure of Buhari lapsed.

The Oke Ogun people “will be happy to see you as Visitor to the University in the nearest future while our son, Senator Abdulfatahi Buhari” become the governor of the Pacesetters state, as Oyo is called, the Obas told Lawan.

While responding to the clarion call on him to join the presidential race, Lawan failed to commit himself, insisting that he’s not distracted and would like to concentrate on his job as the number three citizens for now.

Lawan said “We have promised Nigerians that the 9th National Assembly will work for them and will not allow ourselves to be detracted from getting that done…..the Ninth Assembly, Nigeria and Nigerians remains our focus.”

Meanwhile, the magazine learnt that Lawan may have indeed decided to join the race as feelers continue to emerge that the north is planning to remain in power beyond 2023.

Just few days ago, a House of Representatives member from Katsina state stated that the north has decided that power must remain in the region, adding that everything will be done to truncate the ambition of Tinubu to succeed Buhari.

If this happens, Lawan is expected to slug it out with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other notable politicians in both the ruling APC and Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, keen watchers of politics in the country said.