Senator Ahmed Lawan of Nigeria's governing All Progressives Congress (APC) party on Tuesday emerged as the country's new Senate president when the 9th National Assembly was inaugurated in the capital Abuja.
Lawan, 60, representing the northeastern state of Yobe, was the favored candidate of the Nigerian ruling party for the top legislative seat.
The former majority leader of the 8th Senate, which was dissolved last Thursday, emerged through an election to lead the upper chamber of the Nigerian bi-cameral legislature.
The election was a fierce contest between Lawan and Senator Ali Ndume, representing the northeastern state of Borno at the upper chamber, also called the Red Chamber.
Lawan, who has been a member of the National Assembly for 20 years, pledged to pursue issues bordering on unemployment in the most populous African country and peaceful coexistence among members of different parties in the Senate.
By virtue of the office he now occupies, Lawan is Nigeria's third most senior political leader after Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The inauguration of the 9th National Assembly, comprising of 109 Senators representing every state and region of the country, took place amid tight security.
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