Ndume shakes hands with Lawan after losing senate presidency

Senator Ali Ndume

Senator Ali Ndume shook hands with his colleague, Ahmed Lawan, on Tuesday after results of election for Senate president were announced.

After a secret ballot voting, clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, announced that Lawan got 79 votes to defeat his major rival, Ali Ndume, who got 28 votes.

Mr Sani-Omolori said 107 senators cast their votes.

While votes were still being counted, Ndume stood up from his seat to shake the hands of Lawan and congratulated him amidst cheers from other lawmakers.

The Borno lawmaker had put up a fierce battle for the seat despite Lawan being the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which they both belong to.