The race for the Senate presidency appears to have slipped away from Senator Orji UzorKalu and Mr Adams Oshiomhole as the president-elect, Bola Tinubu has reportedly concluded plans to pair the former governor of AkwaIbom State, Senator GodswillAkpabio, with Senator JibrinBarau as Senate president and deputy respectively.
Akpabio and Barau are among the nine
contenders for the Senate presidency of the 10th assembly, which is expected to
be inaugurated on June 13.
Credible sources said that the Bola Ahmed
Tinubu who just returned to the country on Monday after 34 days of embarking on
medical vacation in France, communicated his decision to Akpabio and Barau
during a meeting held in Abuja.
The former Lagos State governor had on Tuesday
met with Akpabio, Barau, Senator OpeyemiBamidele (APC, Ekiti) and the Ekiti
State governor, BiodunOyebanji.
Sources said during the meeting, which they
said was at the instance of MrTinubu, Barau was directed to drop his bid for
the Senate presidency in the interest of national cohesion, fairness and
religious balancing.
A lawmaker from the South said Barau was
prevailed upon to sacrifice his ambition in the interest of peace and
tranquility in the country.
“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
KashimShettima (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.
While corroborating this, another source, a
member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), revealed 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.
Recall that aside from Akpabio and Barau,
seven other senators have indicated interest in the Senate presidency including
Senator Orji UzorKalu (Abia North); Sen Abdul-Aziz Yari (APC, Zamfara West);
SenSani Musa (Niger East); Sen Ali Ndume (Borno South), SenOsitaIzunaso (Imo
West), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi South) and Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North).
It was gathered that there is palpable
tension in Senator Kalu’s camp after the news of Bola Tinubu’s decision to
settle for MrAkpabio and Barau as capable hands that will manage the affairs of
the Senate was made known to them.
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