Lawan Denies Supporting Tenure Extension For Buhari

Senator Ahmad Lawan, Nigeria’s number three citizen, has reacted to a media report that he is supporting a tenure extension for President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement made by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi, the Senate President denied the report which alleged that he is scheming to help the President stay in power beyond 2023.

Lawan also debunked the news saying that he won’t mind a constitutional amendment to allow unlimited term of office for President if President Buhari wishes to remain in office beyond 2023.

The senate president said he firmly stands by the constitutional provision for a term limit for elected public officers and would not support any move to amend the section.

He noted that the false report which is entirely the handiwork of mischief makers is now being circulated again on social media by purveyors of fake news.

The statement reads: “The Office of the President of the Senate has noted a tweet by one Comr. Mayor attributing a fabricated statement to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.

“In the mischievous tweet, the Senate President was quoted as saying he “won’t mind a constitutional amendment to allow unlimited term of office for President if President Buhari wishes to remain in office beyond 2023.”

“Our initial reaction was to ignore the ignoble mischief especially since it is not new, having been posted two years ago on 27 March 2019.

“But because the tweet has been trending again on social media, it becomes necessary to issue a formal rebuttal of its purport.

“We, therefore, say categorically that the Senate President has never made any such statement, before or after 2019.

“The old tweet which was entirely the handiwork of mischief makers is now being circulated again on social media by purveyors of fake news

“The 1999 Constitution has a firm position on the tenure of the President that reflects the popular stand of Nigerians.”