By 
Bisi ABASS
The President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan has shifted his picking of the Expression of interest and Nomination forms on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to contest for the Presidency to next week.
Lawan had earlier slated Wednesday for the official storming of the APC National Secretariat for the purchase of forms and subsequent declaration.
According to a source, the President of the Senate had to shift the declaration to next week following his continued consultations with the Presidency, Northern and Southern leaders, Traditional rulers, retired Generals, Clergymen, the organised business sector, the Ulamas, Politicians, among others.
Lawan who has bowed to pressure from Senators, the North East geo-political zone in particular and other parts of the north to vie for the Presidency, has reached out to major Stakeholders on his aspiration.
The President of the Senate had earlier slated last week Tuesday for the collection of the forms and declaration but shifted it from the earlier date to this week because of the public holiday that was declared by the Federal Government.
Recall that the party had fixed N30m as the fee for the expression of interest and N70m for the nomination forms and based on the party’s timetable, the sale of the forms would be closed on Friday, May 6, this year.
The latest permutation for Lawan to emerge as the APC candidate and to ensure that the North wins 2023 to occupy the seat of President Muhammadu Buhari whose second term will lapse on May 29, next year is that if the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP gives its presidential ticket to either former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from Adamawa State, North-East geo-political zone or Mohammed Hayatu- Deen from Borno State also in the North East, then Lawan from Yobe State also from the North East if given the APC ticket will give the PDP a big fight in the North.
It was further gathered that with pressure on the Presidency with regard to Lawan’s project, the President is said to be working towards that position by identifying with the President of the Senate.
A Senator from the North and a strong ally of Lawan said, ” you will see the calibre of people from every part of the country that will pick the forms for Lawan, he is going to be the next President of the country that will do well for the country.”
When asked about his take on his position by former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume’s position that it will be unfair, injustice, a betrayal of trust and a gentleman man agreement if the APC Zones the Presidency to the North, the Senator who took a swipe at Ndume’s stance said, ” Nigeria needs a President for Nigeria and Nigerians and not the issue of a Hausa President, Nigeria needs a Progressive President like Lawan. Let the Electorate decide who to vote for.”
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