JUST IN: Senate Presidency: Goje Withdraws From Race, Endorses Lawan

Senator Danjuma Goje has stepped down from Senate Presidency race and expressing support for Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan.

Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai disclosed this after meeting behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential villa Abuja on Thursday.

Addressing  State House Correspondents and surrounded by Senators Lawan, Goje and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, El-Rufai said the issue has just been put to rest with the support of Danjuma Goje for Ahmed Lawan Senate Presidency.

“We discussed steps to unify our leadership in the National Assembly starting with the senate.

“I am very pleased to announce that distinguished Senator Goje has agreed to fully endorse and support the choice of the party and that of Mr. President within the Senate, that is Senator Ahmed Lawan.

“We are very grateful to Senator Goje for his sacrifice, patience. This discussion has been going on for a long time and I’m honoured to be part of it and I am grateful to him for recognizing the many years we have worked together when he was Minister, as Governor.

“I know him to be a man of impeccable integrity and a man of his word and I am very honoured that he has come to see Mr. President and to conclude this matter once and for all.” he said

Goje said “First, I want to use this opportunity to thank Allah for giving us this opportunity today. I want to thank my teeming supporters, associates across the country, who have been calling me to declare for the senate presidency, I have listened to them and I thank them very well.

 “I want to say that as an elder statesman in the senate for a long time. At my age, I should be able to appreciate leadership coming from our elders. So in spite of all these calls, in spite all the support I have among my colleagues in the senate, I have decided to in deference to the loyalty I have for his excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari and in deference to the loyalty I have for my party, the APC in the interest of our party and the development of this country, in other to assist Mr. President to deliver his promises, I have decided to respect his wish by not declaring to contest this senate presidency.

“Instead, I am supporting the party’s position thereby endorsing the candidature of Senator Ahmed Lawan.” he stated

Asked if the decision was an imposition, he said “I don’t think is an imposition, I am not compelled to step down, I just told you that my age I have the capacity to think well and respect my elders and respect my party

NAN.