he President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has urged all the opposition political parties to team up with the incoming government of the All Progressives Congress(APC) to jointly take Nigeria to the next level of development.
Lawan said the elections were over and what was left is governance which is for everyone.
The Senate President spoke in Abuja on Friday while receiving in audience a delegation of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States(OACPS) led by its Secretary General, Georges Robelo Pinto Chikoti.
Lawan told his guests that they came at a time Nigeria is going through a transition but assured them that the transition from one government to a new government on 29th May, 2023 would not be an issue for the organisation.
The Senate President said: “You are coming at a time when we are going through a transition and thank you very much by the way for congratulating Nigeria for the peaceful elections that we had and of course the peaceful and very smooth transition that are going through.
“By the 29th of May this year, our president, current president, and current administration would have finished his tenure but we will have another administration coming and that is not going to be an issue because it is a government that is being replaced by another government from the same political party.
“And of course here in Nigeria, so far, the opposition has been very supportive. The minority Leader is here. We have enjoyed very excellent relationship in the Parliament.
“We work for our country regardless of our political platforms and I will take this opportunity to call on all opposition in Nigeria to team up with our new administration for the development of our country.
“Elections are over and what is left is governance and governance is for everybody. What is necessary, what is very critical and important today is how we are able to come together as a people regardless of our political platforms to ensure that our country is taking to the next level of development.”
Lawan commended the OACPS Secretary General for working so hard at the secretariat to ensure that the organisation remain very effective and efficient.
“The partnership that we try to form with the European Union is essentially to help us to be self reliant and self dependent, rather than taking some kind of little assistance from them. Partnership in trade and other areas that are vital and that are decent for Africa and Pacific Countries,” Lawan said.
The OACPS Secretary General, Georges Robelo Chikoti had earlier told the Senate President that his team was in Nigeria to attend a global African symposium which was organised by the OACPS and the Department of Technical Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and the Nigeria National Commission on Diaspora.
Chikoti said: “Being in Nigeria, for me, is also an occasion to inform Your Excellency that at the OACPS level, the joint Parliamentary Assembly of the OACPS is now being constituted and indeed, at that level, we do count quite a lot on Nigeria which is an important member of this Parliamentary Assembly.
“And we do expect that as they work towards elaboration of rules of the joint Parliamentary Assembly, we certainly do expect that Nigeria will play a critical role to develop this Parliamentary Assembly.
“As we visit you on this courtesy call, it is also an occasion for me and my delegation to thank Your Excellency for the important progress your country, Nigeria, has made in terms of peaceful elections.”
*By Ola Awoniyi, Special Adviser(Media)to President of the Senate