I’m ready to step down for Buhari’s candidate – Lawan assures Nigerians

By Musa Baba Adamu

Senate President, Ahmed Lawan yesterday said he will step down and work for any candidate who emerges as the choice of President Muhammadu Buhari, if it does not favour him.

Speaking to journàlists after being screened by the APC presidential election screening panel in Abuja, Lawan who expressed confidence that he will emerge as the choice of Buhari, said “We are sons and daughters of the same father and mother, those of us in APC, all of us who took the forms and to run for the highest office fo the president believing in the same philosophy and ideology of our party.

“Therefore, we are one and the same thing. I will support anybody who rules the party and who the President thinks can do better for us. I have no problem with that. I want to also believe that at the end of the day, I will emerge”.

He also said he has the required experience to preside over Nigeria, adding that his long stay in the National Assembly will guide him to address the challenges facing Nigeria.

Fielding questions from journàlists on what APC stands for in Nigeria, Lawan said “of course, our party stands for progress, national stability and what we have done in the last seven years as an administration, we have recorded so much successes across the country but we also have some challenges we have to deal with.

“As someone who is aspiring to be the candidate for APC and by the grace of God the president in 2023, I have gone through the nails. I have worked before I came into the National Assembly in 1999 and I am still in the National Assembly having served for eight years in the House of Representatives.

“I chaired the two strategic, critical and very important committees of education and agriculture in the House and served as chairman of public account for eight years, served as chairman of Defence Committee in the Senate, served as Senate leader and served as presiding officer and Senate president today.

“I have worked very closely with Mr President Muhammadu Buhari in my capacity as Senate Leader. I know the issue of developments, where we have recorded so much successes, I know where we have to rework the tool and rekit our system, strategy and operations.

“I want to see a situation where I will come as the elected party candidate and, of course, go ahead to defeat the PDP and other political parties to win the presidency for APC and for Nigeria”.

He said by the Grace of God, if he is elected as President in 2023, Nigeria will experience improved education, security, economy, adding that his mission is to reform the educational sector to serve the sons and daughter of nobody, so that the government can take away from the street fifteen million out-of-school children.