Lawan Promises to Work with PDP Senators If Elected Senate President.

Senator Ahmed Lawan, the adopted candidate of the All Progressive Congress for the 9th Senate has promised to work with PDP lawmakers if he’s elected the next Senate President.

Lawan’s claim to carry lawmakers in the opposition party along in the running of his office is contrary to the recent declaration of the Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

Oshiomhole recently said that members of the opposition would not be made chairmen of committees because his party would constitute most of the juicy panels of the Ninth Senate, Punch reports.

However, Senator Sabi Abdullahi has urged the opposition party senators-elect to ignore Oshiomhole’s claim asking them to ignore his threat.

While assuring them that Lawan would treat them with respect, he maintained that senator representing Yobe North appreciated the feelings of members of the minority party and would not do anything to hurt them.

He said: “Senator Ahmad Lawan is leaving no stone unturned in talking to his colleagues across party lines. Let me say very clearly that the nature of parliament is such that you cannot shut anybody out. It is not possible.

“I want Nigerians to look at those of us who are the actors and take note of what we say. That is the most important thing.

“I want to submit and assure Nigerians that by the special grace of God, if Senator Ahmad Lawan gets there, he will run an all-inclusive government because the Senate is the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The 109 senators are individual senators representing the various senatorial districts in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They have inalienable rights to be heard and listened to for government to work for them no matter our differences and no matter the sentiments that we share.

“When we took our oath of office, we pledged not to allow personal interest to override the public interest. Let me say very clearly that our aspiration is to have the Senate that works for Nigeria.

“I know that given the track record of Senator Lawan in his 16 years of being in the National Assembly, he understands the feelings of the opposition because he was one of them before and he will not abuse that privilege.

“The notion from the PDP side that they would be excluded should be withdrawn forthwith. What we are planning to do is to have a Senate that will be for all senators.”

Abdullahi further said that many opposition senators, who hitherto believe that Lawan would shut them out of his government, had pledged their support and promised to vote for him on the day of inauguration, Punch reports.