Ali Ndume, candidate for the seat of the Senate President for the 9th assembly, said he contested against Ahmed Lawan to uphold the constitution of Nigeria.
Okay.ng reported that Lawan secured 79 votes as against Ndume who polled 28 votes to be declared senate president of the 9th assembly.
Speaking to newsmen after the election, Ndume said:
“Party or democracy without election is not democracy. That is why it is very important to stand for and defend the constitution. Section 50 (1), that the Senators shall elect the senate president and his deputy from among themselves and that was what happened.
“When they did that election, I got 28 or thereabout, that is democracy in action, no matter the imperfection. I insisted on secret balloting because in democracy, election must be seen to be free and fair and this election was conducted freely and fairly through the open secret balloting which gives credibility to the process.
“If I had agreed with the anointment of Ahmad Lawan as the Senate President, in line with the directive of the party, there won’t have been election and it would have dented the image of the party and the government.”
In addition, Ndume called on the party to commend him for competing against Lawan.
“That is why I don’t see myself as a loser. I have won and I think the party should commend me,” he said.
