SENATE PRESIDENCY:BUKOLA SARAKI TO CONTEST ,DESPITE APC'S DIRECTIVE

A group of senators-elect who are canvassing for the emergence Saraki as President have insisted on Sunday that the Kwara State senator would contest the position on Tuesday.
The group, in a statement by two of its members, Dino Melaye and Ahmed Rufai-Sani, argued that the mock primary that produced Ahmad Lawan as the APC concensus candidate, was manipulated by the party leaders.
The senators-elect noted with regret that the leadership of the APC did not carry the pro–Saraki group along while the Lawan group was allegedly informed ahead of the meeting.
The group explained that it went to the International Conference Centre venue of the meeting in Abuja with just five members to discuss the modalities for the conduct of the election on Tuesday.
It said, “The Unity Forum (Lawan’s group) insisted on open ballot voting which we discovered is different from the electoral process used to conduct the earlier election with the House of Representatives members -elect.
“To us, this open ballot voting is primitive; undemocratic and against universal electoral norms and practice.In the light of the above, we the Senators elect of Like Minds hereby insist on our position of Open ballot.
“Secret voting process which we believe is in consonance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the universal electoral values.
“As responsible citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and leaders in our own right, we have resolved and hereby state that we shall not be part of a process that promotes undemocratic electoral process.
“Such undemocratic process may resort to rancorous and uncivil situations which inhibit the rights of individuals to vote for the candidate of their choice, as this process will further divide us than unite members of our party.
“In conclusion we the Senators-Elect of Like Minds wish to state categorically that we will participate only in the constitutional election scheduled for Tuesday, the 9th of June 2015 in line with the rules of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The group vowed to address a news conference with 65 senators-elect across the APC and the PDP, who had already endorsed Saraki’s candidature for the post.
Investigations had revealed that 33 out of the 59 APC senators – elect voted for Lawan at the mock primary, leaving Saraki with the remaining 26.
Already the Saraki group are claiming to have the support of 49 PDP senators – elect who will give him their votes on Tuesday.
An incoming PDP senator, who confided in reporters on the lobbying by the candidates, said, “The candidates have been reaching out to us, but we in the PDP are not united.”