I am still in the race – Ndume
One of the three contenders for the Senate presidency, Sen. Danjuma Goje (APC, Gombe), yesterday, withdrew from the race after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Goje, who chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations, announced his withdrawal at the end of an hour-long meeting with the president.
The meeting, attended by Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan and senator-elect for Kaduna Central Uba Sani, was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
With Goje’s withdrawal, Lawan is set to slug it out with Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno) on Tuesday, June 11, when the National Assembly would be inaugurated.
Speaking to State House correspondents, Goje said he withdrew from the race in the interest of unity of the party and President Buhari.
He also announced his endorsement of Lawan for the Senate presidency.
Goje, a former governor of Gombe State, said he was not compelled to step down for Lawan.
“I don’t think there is any imposition. I am not compelled to step down but as a reasonable person and at my age, I think I have the capacity to think well and to respect my elders and my party.
“I have been in party politics since the second republic. I have been winning my elections several times, from local government to House of Assembly to National Assembly to governorship. I was also a minister.
“To say that I would be frightened to support somebody, it’s impossible; I’m supporting him based on my own conviction that I am doing the right thing for our country and our president,” he said.
Also speaking, Lawan said the endorsement by Goje would bring about unity in the APC. He thanked President Buhari and Governor el-Rufai for making the endorsement possible.
“I believe that is the way to go. We want to go there united from all sides to kick start our activities which is very important at this time as a Senate that is focused for optimum performance. I believe that our colleagues in the 9th Senate will be happy to hear that this has been achieved.
“I want to also thank Senator Goje himself, he is a very experienced politician and he has been in this business much longer than some of us.”
On his part, el-Rufai said the discussion for Goje to step down for Lawan had been going on for a very long time.
Meanwhile Senator Ali Ndume has insisted that he was still in the race and that he would fight to the last.
Ndume told journalists at the National Assembly immediately after the news of Goje’s withdrawal broke that he was not invited to any meeting with the president and that he would go ahead with the contest.
“Nobody has invited me to the Villa for any talk, and there’s no cause for it at this moment in time. “I’ll contest for the 9th Senate president’s position, Insha Allah on Tuesday next week,” he said.
