Drama As Bashir Machina Refuses To Step Down For Senate President, Ahmad Lawan

Bashir Sheriff Machina, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Yobe north senatorial election, has vowed not step down for Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.

Lawan and Machina

Lawan has been representing Yobe North senatorial district since 2007, until he recently opted to contest for the APC presidential ticket which he lost to the party’s national leader, Bola Tinubu.

Following his lost at the just concluded APC presidential primary election, Lawan has been trying to get back into the senate by reclaiming the Yobe North ticket from Machina.

But while speaking with Daily Trust, Machina said he has been approached by some people to relinquish the ticket, but that he would not.

The Yobe North candidate said he was not opposed by any senatorial hopeful for the ticket because “I was the one that was qualified”.

Machina said, “As far as I’m concerned, I contested for the Yobe north senatorial ticket and I won the election.

“I was confirmed elected because there were other contestants but I was the one that was qualified. I happened to be unopposed.

“I am still the candidate; I have not withdrawn and I will not withdraw for anybody. I am being approached by some persons but I will not withdraw, Insha Allah.”

A party member loyal to Machina, Hussaini Mohammed Isa said that a lot of pressure was mounted on the candidate to hand over the APC senatorial ticket to Lawan. He faulted the move saying that Machina laboured for the ticket.

On their part, Saleh Mohammed and other Lawan’s supporters insisted that the presidential aspirant was the best performing senator the zone ever had, and therefore, they preferred that he continued to represent the senatorial district.

KanyiDaily recalls that before the APC presidential primary, Northern Governors had rejected the adoption of Ahmad Lawan as the consensus presidential candidate of the party.