Only Ahmad Lawan knows how to get senatorial ticket without participating in primaries: Rochas Okorocha

Mr Lawan had contested for the APC presidential ticket but, in a controversial judgment, the Supreme Court ruled that he was the authentic candidate for the Yobe North senatorial district.

News Agency of Nigeria • June 11, 2023

Rochas Okorocha and Ahmad Lawan

Rochas Okorocha has mocked outgoing Senate President Ahmad Lawan on the circumstances surrounding his return to the senate without duly participating in his party’s primary elections.

Mr Okorocha, himself an outgoing senator representing Imo West Federal Constituency, said this during Saturday’s valedictory session of the 9th Senate.

“I did not contest for the senate this period. I only contested for the office of the president. You are a very smart politician. How you came back to the Senate is another chapter in our political history that we need to discuss.

“I was there in the field with you running for president, I never knew how you were able to meander, leaving some of us. Next time you must teach me how to do that,” Mr Okorocha said.

The former Imo State governor was referring to Mr Lawan’s botched attempt to contest the presidency under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Messrs Lawan and Okorocha both contested for the presidential ticket of their party, the ruling APC. However, while Mr Lawan is going to be part of the 10th senate under very controversial circumstances, Mr Okorocha isn’t.

Mr Lawan’s participation in the APC presidential primaries, which he lost to now-President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, made him ineligible to contest for the Yobe North senatorial ticket of the APC, according to the electoral act.

In accordance with the law, Bashir Machina, Mr Lawan’s placeholder, was declared winner of the APC primaries as supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

However, the Supreme Court in a controversial judgment, ruled that Mr Lawan was the authentic candidate for the Yobe North senatorial district.

In response to Mr Okorocha’s mockery, Mr Lawan said that his constituents and party stakeholders had appealed on his behalf up to the Supreme Court.

“I didn’t even appeal the judgement that did not give me the contest. The party and the stakeholders appealed on my behalf up to the supreme court, so there is nothing critical or remarkable. In fact, you have nothing to learn from it,” Mr Lawan said.

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