ABUJA, Nigeria – Senator Godswill Akpabio, the endorsed candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has triumphed in his bid to become President of the Senate, defeating his lone opponent, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari.
Voting commenced at precisely 08:45 am on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 and proceeded state by state, in alphabetical order.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate was paired with Senator Jibrin Barau, who represents Kano South.
Nominations had only been received for Akpabio and Yari, indicating that Senators Orji Uzor Kalu and Osita Izunaso withdrew from the race in the final hour.
Following a brief recess, Sani Tambuwal, the Clerk of the National Assembly, declared Akpabio as the new Senate President, having secured 63 votes against Yari’s 46.
Contrary to the scheduled start time of 10 a.m., the voting process began before 9 a.m on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
The Clerk of the National Assembly initiated the proceedings by calling for nominations.
Senator-elect for Borno South, Ali Ndume, nominated Godswill Akpabio, senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-East, for the President of the Senate position, which Akpabio accepted.
Subsequently, Elisha Abbo, senator-elect for Adamawa North, nominated Abdulaziz Yari, senator-elect for Zamfara West.
However, this move sparked protests among the senators, as they contended that Yari, as a first-time senator, was ineligible for the role.
After the lawmakers cast their votes, two representatives from each candidate’s team were called upon to tally the votes.
Senators Adeola Solomon and Ndume represented Senator Akpabio, while Abbo and senator-elect Jimoh Ibrahim, representing Ondo South Senatorial District, represented Senator Yari.
Ultimately, Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom and later a Minister for Niger Delta Affairs from 2019 to 2022, surpassed Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, to emerge as President of the 10th Senate.
Akpabio’s victory marks a significant achievement for the APC and could shape the direction of legislative activities under the 10th Senate.
