Senate presidency: ‘Barau, other northern aspirants still in race’

A civil society organisation, the Policy Advocacy and Integrity Network Nigeria, has dismissed a media report that aspirants for the Senate presidency from the northern region have withdrawn from the race.

The report, quoting a source, said a Senate presidency aspirant from the North West had agreed to quit the race for a juicy committee position.

But the group, in a statement by its executive director, Josh Mesele, said the report is completely false, and urged senators-elect to ignore it.

He said, “We are amazed with the fake report in one of the tabloids belonging to one of the aspirants from the South shamelessly claiming that aspirants from the North have all stepped down from the race. This is a lie from the pit of hell.

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“We can boldly say with all sense of responsibility that no single aspirant from the North has stepped down; rather, they are very much in the race.

“The leading aspirant in the race, Senator Barau Jibrin from the North West, for instance, has been up and doing with his campaign and gaining grounds daily all over the country.

“We urge all well-meaning Nigerians, especially senators-elect, not to be deceived by this misleading report. The report has clearly shown that the aspirant in question is drowning in the race and desperately clawing at a non-existent straw.”