He represents the Yobe North Senatorial District in the Senate as a member of the All Progressives Congress.

[3] After being reelected in 2011, 2015, and 2019 (as a member of the All Progressive Congress, successor to the ANPP), Lawan was elected the new Senate President with 79 votes cast to beat Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume with 28 votes after the inauguration of the 9th Nigeria National Assembly in 2019.

[10] In 2009, as chairman of the Senate committee on Public Accounts, Lawan initiated and sponsored the Desertification Control Commission Bill.

He said the dams caused intense poverty, increased desert encroachment, migration and conflicts between arable farmers and herdsmen.

[12] Lawan ran for reelection in Yobe North Senatorial District on the ANPP platform in the 9 April 2011 elections.

[citation needed] Lawan was named chairman, Senate committee on defence on 8 August 2023.

[30][31] Several days after the story broke, Lawan denied it, stating that the report was "unwarranted, unproven, and false" before warning Nigerians to "always think positive about their leaders and their governments" and advising that "if they have issues they feel very strongly about, let them speak the truth and we are prepared to tell corrections that that we feel should be able to make us do better.

"[32] In October 2022, a Nigerian National Honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.