Machina, who insisted on not giving the ticket to Lawan, stated the senator would not have contested the party’s presidential primary if he had the ambition of returning to the Senate.

Lawan had contested for APC’s presidential ticket and lost to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed at the primary.

There are reports that Lawan is now seeking a transfer of the senatorial ticket secured by Machina to him to return to the Senate.

Speaking on Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television on Wednesday, Machina said, “The pressure is more or less speculative. There wasn’t any clear-cut person or message directly that says I should step down but from the headquarters of my party (APC), recently I was informed that if I was still in the race, I should write formally to inform the party that I am.”

He confirmed that the letter that trended online was his response to the request from an unnamed caller from the national headquarters of the APC.

“I formally wrote a letter to the party, reiterating and affirming my position, that I am still the candidate; that I did not withdraw, and I am not withdrawing, and I’m in the race in the event that anybody is contemplating or doubting that there is any move,” he said.