There are indications that the desire and agitation of the South East to clinch the office of the President of the 10th senate has been thwarted as the All progressives Congress, APC hierarchy has decided to install Senator Godswill Akpabio, a former Akwa Ibom State two-term governor, as president of the 10th senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Some reports say President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu has concluded plans to pair Senator Godswill Akpabio, with Senator Jibrin Barau as Senate president and deputy.The duo are among the top contenders for the Senate presidency.
There are three aspirants from the South East, namely Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North);Sen Osita Izunaso (Imo West), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi South)
Recall that the president elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu met with Akpabio, Barau, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti) and the Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji, Tuesday after his return to Nigeria.
The meeting was said to be at the instance of the president-elect, Barau was asked to drop his bid for the Senate presidency in the interest of national cohesion, fairness and religious balancing.
“He was told to drop his ambition for the emergence of a Christian as the president of the next Senate.
“The president-elect told Barau that he is extremely qualified for the job but that he should drop his ambition for the emergence of a Christian to enable his administration to commence on a good footing.
“He said since he (Tinubu) and Senator Kashim Shettima (the vice president-elect) are Muslims, the right thing to do is to support a Christian.
“It was after the pleas that the president-elect told Barau that he would want him to work with Akpabio as deputy Senate president,” the senator said, pleading not to be named.
Corroborating this, another source, a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), told the Daily Trust that the president-elect has contacted Akpabio and Barau on his decision to pair them for the Senate presidency.
“I was not there when the meeting was held, but two people who attended it have told me of the decision by Asiwaju. It is a fact that he has settled for Akpabio and Barau for the Senate president and deputy,” he said.
Aside from Akpabio and Barau, seven other senators have indicated interest in the Senate presidency including Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North); Sen Abdul-Aziz Yari ( Zamfara West); Sen Sani Musa (Niger East); Sen Ali Ndume (Borno South), Sen Osita Izunaso (Imo West), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi South) and Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North).
There are reports also that the president-elect would meet other contenders for the Senate presidency to formally inform them of the decision on Akpabio and Barau soon. After that, Tinubu would also meet all the senators-elect who are members of the APC in furtherance of the consultation.
It could be recalled that at a meeting on Wednesday, which had in attendance the president-elect, the vice president-elect, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, and the leadership of the APC led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu, it was resolved that Tinubu anchors the efforts of identifying and selecting the leadership of the National Assembly.
The Nigerian National Assembly has 109 Senators. The APC has 59, PDP 36; LP eight, NNPP two, SDP two, YPP and APGA one seat each.
Akpabio and Barau require a simple majority of votes to clinch the two positions when the parliament is inaugurated in June after the transmission of a letter of proclamation by the president to the Clerk of the National Assembly.
