President of the Nigerian Senate, Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan on Tuesday pacified Senators who might be aggrieved for not clinching return tickets after they contested primary elections for various offices.
He stated this on Tuesday after the resumption of plenary from over a month’s recess.
Lawan said some Senators contested primary elections to come back to the Senate, some governors, while he contested for the presidency, stressing that each had different results that didn’t translate into success.
He admonished them to bear the outcomes as politicians and still be committed to the ideals of democracy as well as that of the political parties to ensure that democracy continues to run full-blown.
Lawan said: “Some of our colleagues contested for Senatorial return tickets, some contested for the governorship of their states, and of course, some of us went for the presidential and we got different results from those activities.
“As politicians, it is never over, until it is over. We should continue to support the political system that we believe in.”
Continuing, Lawan prayed for a few Senators that scaled through the primary election hurdles and wished that they win the general election slated for February 2023.
“Those of our colleagues that recorded successes, we wish them more success in the general election. Those of us who have not succeeded, between now and then, the situation may be better, but on the whole, we should show commitment to ensure that this democracy is sustained through legislative interventions of the National Assembly and this should be our focus,” he added.
Speaking on endless security challenges, he said: “As a parliament, we still have issues that require our legislative intervention.
“The security in our country needs our attention and I, therefore, want us to continue from where we stopped before we went on recess in giving the desired attention for improvement of security of life and properties of citizens.
“The electoral process has thrown up issues that the National Assembly would also look at and address. The Electoral Act itself, though a good document, it is not a perfect document. So there is a need for amendment from time to time in order to improve our electoral process.”
“Lastly, as we embark on our fourth year in office, having clocked three years on Sunday, I wish all of us a very successful final year so that this country can be better. This National Assembly has done quite well in this tenure and I wish us Gid’s guidance”, he concluded.