Senator Ahmed Lawan has been elected the Senate President of the 9th Senate, as he defeated his opponent, Senator Ali Ndume.
At the end of counting, Lawan polled 79 votes to defeat Ndume, who scored 28 votes.
Lawan, who represents Yobe North Senatorial District, won the contest by a landslide as he got 73.83 percent of the vote cast by the lawmakers.
Lawan’s victory was announced by the clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, who added that 107 senators cast their votes.
He was immediately sworn-in by the clerk of the National Assembly.
Even though both are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Ndume went against the party’s decision to back Lawan for the position, and was himself endorsed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hours to the election.
Ndume was nominated by Ishaku Abo (Adamawa North – PDP), and the motion was seconded by Mpigi Barry (Rivers South-East – PDP).
Lawan, 60, was first elected into the Senate in 2007 after his stint in the House of Representatives, and has won re-election three times since. He was Senate Leader in the 8th Senate after his failed bid to become Senate President in 2015.
