Rising from an emergency meeting held at the Zaranda Hotel, Bauchi, on Wednesday, the six groups encouraged Goje to immediately declare for the position. This is despite the decision of the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that Yobe North senator, Ahmad Lawan, should be elected to the office.
Danjuma Goje, a senator and former Governor of Gombe State, has received the backing of the North East Consultative Forum (NESF) and five other groups in the geopolitical zone in his quest to become President of the ninth Senate.
The five groups are the North East Elders Mobilisation Forum, APC National Youth Caucus, Borno Discussion Circle, Gombe Political Associations and North East Youth Awareness for Good Governance.
Rising from an emergency meeting held at the Zaranda Hotel, Bauchi, on Wednesday, the six groups encouraged Goje to immediately declare for the position. This is despite the decision of the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that Yobe North senator, Ahmad Lawan, should be elected to the office.
The groups, comprising representatives of each of the six states that make up the North East geopolitical zone, said they had done “a thorough assessment of the three contenders” for the Senate Presidency from the region.
Therefore, at the end of the meeting, they wrote Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of the party, to intimate him with their decision, imploring him to immediately review the party’s preference for Lawan.
“Following very wide consultations among stakeholders, party members and North East Consultative Forum and after careful assessment of his contribution to the party and Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration, we hereby present to you, Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje as the choice of the people of the North East for the Senate President of the 9th Assembly,” they said in the letter.
“Senator Goje is eminently respected among members of the National Assembly and the country for his immense contribution to the success of the APC in 2015 and 2019 general election. The landslide victory of the APC in Gombe State in the just concluded general election is a sure testimony of his gallantry loyalty and commitment to APC.
“It will serve the best interest of the party if Your Excellency and the party review your stance on the choice of Sen Ahmad Lawan and allow for a level playing field for all aspiring candidates from the North East zone to showcase themselves to their colleagues. We, therefore, urge Sen Danjuma Goje to come forward and declare his interest to vie for the position of the President of the Senate in the ninth Assembly.”
Goje serve two terms as Governor of Gombe State, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), between 2003 and 2011. He has similary served two terms at the Senate, having been elected to represent Gombe Central in 2011 before securing reelection in 2015.
However, he defected from the PDP to APC in 2014 alongside Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central), Sha’aba Lafiagi (Kwara North), Magnus Abe (Rivers South East), Wilson Ake (Rivers West) and Ali Ndume (Borno South).