Former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, has been elected as the Senate President of the 10th Assembly.
Akpabio, the preferred candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), scored 63 votes, defeated his rival, former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, who had 46 votes.
The Clerk of the National Assembly, Sani Tambuwal, declared Akpabio as the Senate President after the counting of the votes and a quick recess.
Akpabio later took his oath of office and was sworn in by the Clerk.
The election started before 9.00a.m. against earlier 10.00am with the Clerk calling for nominations of the contestants.
While the senator-elect for Borno South, Ali Ndume, nominated Godswill Akpabio, the senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-East, as President of the Senate, the senator-elect for Adamawa North, Elisha Abbo, nominated Abdulaziz Yari, senator-elect for Zamfara West.
Akpabio accepted the nomination but there was protest among Yari’s supporters when he was not allowed to stand for the position as a first-time senator.
After the lawmakers cast their votes in alphabetical order, two representatives of each team came to count their votes.
Senators Adeola Solomon and Ndume came out to represent Senator Akpabio, while Abbo and the senator-elect representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, represented Senator Yari.
Also, the senator-elect representing Kano South senatorial district, Jibrin Barau, has emerged the Deputy Senate President unopposed.
Barau was nominated by the former Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, and seconded by the lawmaker representing Kwara North, Saliu Mustapha,
After Barau’s acceptance, the Clerk declared him the Deputy Senate President.
Barau had thrown his hat in the ring for the Senate President but after a meeting with the president, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, the Kano lawmaker withdrew and took the position of the Deputy Senate President.
The position was keenly contested at the initial stages with lawmakers Sani Musa and Orji Kalu expressing interest in the seat.
However, upon Barau’s choice as the favoured candidate, Musa withdrew from the race but refused to join the camp of the Akpabio/Barau ticket while Kalu continued in the race till Monday evening when the governors and lawmakers from the South-East met with the Akpabio, Barau and the president.
Musa also on Tuesday morning declared his support for the party’s choice.
After his inauguration as the Senate President, Akpabio, swore in senators-elect to the 10th National Assembly and he went to the State House, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on a visit to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
