Senator Lawan Carries The Day As Senate President

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday elected Alli Ndume Ahmed Lawan as the President of the upper chamber of the nation's parliament against all odds.
The vote tally at the end of the open secret balloting was 79 for Lawan, while 28senators voted for Ndume.
The election took place after the senators-elect have been accredited by the clerk of the National Assembly and nominations taken from the floor of the red chamber.
While Senators elect under the ruling party nominated Lawan in accordance with the directive of their party, senators from the main opposition nominated Ndume in a tensed situation that has shown the direction of the ninth Senate.
The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC governors and national working committee have jointly pulled their weight behind Senator Lawan while the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) supported the candidature of Ndume.
The Election may have polarised the upper chamber of the National Assembly in what looks like a repeat of what transpired in 2015 when Senate Bukola Saraki was elected against the decision of the ruling party.
Unlike in 2015, when Senator Saraki ceded the position of the Deputy Senate President to the main opposition, the candidates for the deputy senate president belong to the ruling party this time around.
There have been speculations in the political circle that President Mohammadu Buhari was backing Lawan candidature, but he has not at any point in time come out openly to canvass support for him.
However, from his body language, it was clear where is lot will eventually fell as governors who are close to him have put upon themselves to champion the campaign of Lawan.
Both candidates for the senate president were former leaders of the chamber. Ndume was the first leader of the Senate after Saraki coup against his party; he was later removed and replaced with Lawan in an apparent move to douse the tension in the ruling party.
The adoption of the 2015 Senate Rule which stipulates the use of secret ballot in electing presiding officers may have provided a shield for some senators across party line to vote without fear of sanction from their political parties.
Even though the supporters of Senator Lawan had protested the adoption of the rule before the commencement of the election, the Clerk of the Senate had shot them down, saying they have no voice until they are sworn in by the Senate President after the election.

The direction of today’s election was largely determined by the battle for the soul of the upper chamber by the two divide. Those who believed that electing Lawan would have amounting to surrendering the upper chamber to the whims and caprice of the ruling party coalesce into a group while those who believe in President Buhari and would also want to curry his favour were also found in same group to fight the battle.