Ten Facts About Newly Sworn-In Senate President, Ahmed Lawan

While Nigerians are assimilating newly elected and sworn-in Senate President of Nigeria, Ahmed Lawan, here are a few things to note about him.

1. Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan was born in 1959.

2. He became a senator in 2007

3. He represents the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the Yobe North Constituency of Yobe State.

Academic Qualifications

4. He received a bachelor’s degree in Geography from the University of Maiduguri, a master’s degree in remote sensing from Ahmadu Bello University and a doctorate degree in remote sensing/GIS from Cranfield University, UK.

5. Lawal was elected to the House of Representatives for the northern state of Yobe in 1999, at different times he chaired the House Committees on education and agriculture.

6. In 2008, he was a member of the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Constitution Review.

7. In 2009, as chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Lawan initiated and sponsored the Desertification Control Commission Bill.

8. In August 2009, Senator Lawan spoke against the proposed Kafin Zaki Dam. His argument was that the Tiga Dam and Challawa Gorge Dam had already reduced water flow drastically, and the Jama’are River was now the main source of water in the Yobe River. He said the dams caused intense poverty, increased desert encroachment, migration and conflicts between arable farmers and herdsmen.

9. Lawan contested in Yobe North Senatorial District on the ANPP platform in the 9 April 2011 elections. He won with 92,799 votes, trailed by Hassan Kafayos Hussaini of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with 76,960 votes.

10. He was elected President of the Ninth Senate on this day, Tuesday, June 11, 2019, after 107 of the 109 senator-elect voted for him ahead of fellow APC senator Ali Ndume

Naija News reports that mixed reactions have continued to trail the outcome of the Senate Presidency election in the 9th assembly.