Saraki Elected Senate President, Ekweremadu Returns as Deputy

Former governor of Kwara state and Senator of the Kwara central constituency district Senator Bukola Saraki today Tuesday, 9 June 2015 has been elected as the Senate President, beating his APC counterpart Senator Ahmed Lawani with an unanimous vote of 57.
The election, which was conducted early this morning, took place at the National Assembly Abuja with just 57 out of 108 Senators present. It was reported that other Senators including Ahmed Lawani were absent and gathered at the International Conference Centre at the time Saraki was declared President.
Senator Ahmed Lawani had on Sunday been elected at the mock elections organised by the APC beating Saraki who boycotted the primaries with claims that the party adopted a voting pattern which he described as “undemocratic and against universal electoral norms and practice.”
He stated further that come Tuesday, when the proper elections would take place, he would participate.
Following the refusal of Senator Saraki to participate in the mock elections and with no document showing that he wanted it shifted or postponed, the APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun declared that the process was free and transparent. He pleaded with party members to accept the outcome of Lawan emerging as the Senate President candidate.
However, events unfolded dramatically today as Lawan and 50 other Senators also boycotted the elections leaving 57 others that decided the fate of Bukola Saraki as the Senate President and Ike Ekweremadu as the returning deputy. And former Senate President, David Mark, returns as Senate Leader.
The inauguration is expected to be conducted by President Muhammadu Buhari today.
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