President of Nigeria Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, has eventually thrown in the towel on his desperate bid to secure his party’s ticket to return to the Red Chambers in 2023, following his declaration that he would not appeal the verdict of a Federal High Court, Damaturu, Yobe State, stripping him of the senatorial ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Senate President accepted defeat barely 24 hours after a court judgement proclaimed Bashir Machina as the rightful owner of the ticket for the Yobe North Senatorial District elections, being the aspirant who actually won the primaries at the time Senator Lawan was chasing the presidential ticket of APC.
Lawan who had spent 23 years at the national assembly, first contested and won on two occasions as a member of the House of Representatives, before heading to the senate in 2007 to the Senate, where he had since remained preparatory to his emergence as the senate president in 2019 after missing it by the whiskers in 2015, at the first attempt.
The number one national lawmaker, in a statement which he personally signed and released on Thursday, said he would not appeal the judgment of the court, while thanking those who had helped him in his career.
The statement reads: “Yesterday, Wednesday, 28th September 2022, the Federal High Court in Damaturu delivered judgement on the rightful candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District for the 2023 National Assembly elections. The said judgement disqualifies my candidature and therefore my participation in the elections.
“After due consultations with my political associates, supporters and well-wishers, I have decided not to appeal against the judgement. I accept the judgement. At this juncture, I deem it appropriate to thank His Excellency, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam for the leadership role in the APC political family in Yobe State. I also thank His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni for the support and brotherhood.
“To my constituents, I thank you all for your unflinching support, loyalty and unreserved commitment to the course of building our people and Yobe North Senatorial District and indeed Yobe State. I want to assure you that I will continue to serve you in my personal and any other capacity at all times.
“We journeyed together for a long time, and this journey will remain a lifelong journey. It has been a wonderful relationship and it can only get stronger. I am indebted to you all. Alhamdulillah.”
