I won't be your rubber stamp if elected senate president — Lawan tells Buhari

The Majority Leader of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has told President Muhammadu Buhari, that the National Assembly will not become his “rubber stamp” if he is elected Senate President.

Lawan stated this while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Saturday.

The lawmaker admitted that although he is a fan of Buhari, his support for the president, will not jeopardise the upper legislative chamber under his leadership.

Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) had endorsed Lawan to succeed Bukola Saraki as Senate President.

“I won’t deny it; I am a president Buhari man. I believe in him and I believe in my party because of the ideals they stand for. But if you believe in someone and they have an issue that you think can be carried out in a certain way other than the way it was presented, suggesting you go the other way demonstrates that you are really for that person.

“So my support for the president, for example, must not be misconstrued as going to make the national assembly a rubber stamp if I am senate president.

“The function of the legislature is for the members of the legislature in majority to take a decision after a debate or whatever; then the minority would have had their say and the decision goes to the majority. You cannot as a presiding officer say no, I am not going to go with that position. Else you will be sacked,” he said.