Ahmed Lawan is the New Senate President

• Ahmed Lawan is the New Senate President

The 9th National Assembly has elected Senator Ahmed Lawan as the new Senate President on Tuesday after defeating Senator Ali Ndume.

Lawan recorded 79 votes to defeat Senator Ndume, who scored 28 votes.

Lawan, who is from Yobe North Senatorial District, won the election with 73.83 percent of the vote cast by the lawmakers.

The new Senate President was sworn-in by the clerk of the National Assembly.

Ndume had refused to step down for Lawan despite plea by the party leadership as he vowed to go on with his ambition.

The APC was not ready to get it wrong this time around as it did in 2015 when Dr. Bukola Saraki emerged winner to become the Senate President in the 8th Assembly, through a ‘coup’, with APC paying the supreme price all through President Muhammadu Buhari’s reign during the first tenure.

Earlier, there was commotion at the Senate as lawmakers disagreed on what form of voting system should be adopted to elect principal officers of the upper chamber.

Trouble had started when the Clerk of the Senate, Mohammed Sani, read President Muhammadu Buhari’s proclamation letter to members of the Senate, and announced that open ballot would be used for voting exercise.

This led to commotion as those who supported the idea and those opposing it engaged in a shouting match.