In what appears to be a case of double jeopardy, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan’s bid to at least make a return to the Senate is threatened as the winner of the Yobe North All-Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primaries, Bashir Machina, has refused to step down for him.
Lawan, who represents Yobe North in the Senate, had contested and lost a bid to secure the APC presidential ticket at the party’s national convention held on June 8, to Bola Tinubu who emerged the winner.
Since the winner of the senatorial primaries refused to step down, the Senate president is now mounting pressure on the presidency to get back his senatorial ticket.
All efforts by Mr Lawan’s cronies to convince Mr Machina to step down for the president of the Senate failed as the senatorial candidate insisted that he won’t withdraw.
According to sources, Mr Lawan was secretly given the INEC form by the APC headquarters to fill for submission, although he didn’t submit himself for party screening and didn’t participate in the senatorial primary election which took place in Gashua town on May 28.
In the primaries, Mr Machina, who was the sole candidate, got 289 votes.
According to sources, Mr Lawan, in concert with the APC National Vice Chairman, North East, Mustapha Salihu, is trying to ‘forcefully take over’ the ticket from Mr Machina.
When contacted on the allegations, the APC National Vice Chairman, North East said he never interfered in the local party decisions in Yobe.
“I don’t interfere with local party arrangement in states. Yobe has its own unique way of primaries, which is a general consensus.
“All aspirants who obtained the party’s nomination forms nationwide have filled the withdrawal forms, which is a clear consent to withdraw in case of any superior interest, and with the consent of the party stakeholders in the state.
“I’m aware that it is a national party policy for aspirants who lost the presidential ticket to return to their seats in the Senate. You can see Godswill Akpabio has already reclaimed his senatorial ticket,” Mr Salihu added.
Machina has also been talking tough while refuting allegations that he is holding the ticket for the Senate President.
It would be recalled that the president of the Senate was initially touted as the consensus candidate of the party, but 13 Northern governors kicked against the idea of retaining power in the North.
At the presidential primary, Lawan came a distant fourth position with 152 votes behind the likes of former Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi who came second with 316 votes and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo who came third with 235 votes.
