‘How did you do it?’: Okorocha asks Lawan over his emergence as Senator again without going through APC primary
By Ishaya Ibrahim
At the valedictory session of the 9th Senate, the Senator representing Imo West, Rochas Okorocha, asked Senate President Ahmad Lawan how he made it back to the senate without participating in the primary election for the ticket.
Recall that Okorocha and Lawan contested the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) along with the eventual winner, Tinubu.
Lawan’s participation in the APC presidential primary meant he would not contest the Yobe North senatorial ticket of the APC, according to the Electoral Act.
Lawan’s fate appeared to have been sealed after a winner, Bashir Machina was declared winner of the Yobe North primary election monitored by INEC, and especially because Machina refused all entreaties for him to withdraw.
Lawan headed to the courts
After losing at the lower courts, the Supreme Court handed the Yobe North ticket to Lawan.
Speaking at the valedictory session, Okorocha, who is not returning to the senate, wondered how Lawan made it.
“I did not contest for the senate this period. I only contested for the office of the president. You are a very smart politician. How you came back to the senate is another chapter in our political history that we need to discuss.
“I was there in the field with you running for president, I never knew how you were able to meander, leaving some of us. Next time you must teach me how to do that,” he said.
In his response, Lawan said: “It was easy. I was there with you in the field and after our defeat, my constituents thought they needed me again. They asked for me to come back and it was a tortious journey because we had to go through the courts.
“I didn’t even appeal the judgment that did not give me the contest. The party and the stakeholders appealed on my behalf up to the Supreme Court, so there is nothing critical or remarkable. In fact, you have nothing to learn from it.”
