Fred Itua, Abuja
Strong indications have emerged in Abuja that the current Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Danjuma Goje, may soon declare his intentions to run for the Senate Presidency seat.
Goje who is yet to make a public declaration to that effect was openly called upon by a group of Amalgamated Youths from North East, to do so without any further delay.
While making the call at the entrance to the National Assembly, the group led by one Bello Ambo from Bauchi State, said neither the endorsement of Ahmad Lawan by the National leadership of APC nor the expression of interest by Mohammed Ali Ndume, should prevent Goje from throwing his hat into the ring now.
According to him, as far as public service experience is concerned, Goje stands far above the other two, having controlled a whole state for eight years between 2003 and 2011 and been in the Senate since then with required parliamentary experience.
“The position of Senate president requires administrative and parliamentary knowledge enormously possess by Goje as against the two other contenders from the zone,” he said.
When reminded that the ruling party had taken a final decision on who should occupy the position with the endorsement of Lawan last week Monday, the coordinator of the group said senators-elect are matured people who can decide who their leader should be and should be allowed to do so.
“Our party (APC) is a party of the people and not a few leaders; the party should allow the people, in this case, senators-elect to decide whoever they want as their leader in whatever capacity.
“For us, the Goje support groups from the North East for the presidency of the 9th Senate (GSGNE), Senator Danjuma Goje is the right man for the job. He has the required experience as a tested administrator and high-ranking lawmaker.
“He is a man of the people and a senator with all what it takes in carrying others along across party lines and most importantly, a party man to the core who will fit perfectly into the ‘next-level’ agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari,” he said.
Another leader of the group from Yobe State, Abdul Saleh, in his own remarks, said although Lawan is from his state since the position of the president of the 9th Senate is zoned to the North East, Senator Goje should come out to contest for it.
Saleh in his response to a question as regarding their sponsorship said nobody sponsored them as they are yet to meet Senator Goje personally.
“We are politically-conscious youths from the North East resident in different areas of the Federal Capital Territory and in particular, card-carrying members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We are calling on Senator Goje to contest for the president of the 9th Senate, being the most qualified person from the zone as far as we are concerned.
“The party might have spoken in support of Senator Ahmad Lawan, but the senators-elect are to decide when the time comes. Goje should come out and contest the same way Senator Ali Ndume is doing.
“The more they are in the race, the better the offers before senators-elect to pick from,” he explained.
Members of the groups who spent about four hours (from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm) at the main entrance of the National Assembly to drum support for Goje, carried banners with various inscriptions and Goje’s portraits to amplify their message to passersby and motorists.
Support for Goje to join the race is coming 48 hours after Senator Ali Ndume rolled out his 9-point legislative agenda if elected president of the 9th Senate in June, in defiance to the official adoption of Senator Ahmad Lawan last week Monday by the national leadership of APC.