Senator Godwsill Akpabio representing Akwa Ibom North-West District has won the leadership position of the 10th National Assembly.
Senator Akpabio defeated his opponent
Abdulaziz Yari, with votes from the lawmakers, thereby making him the Senate
President.
His
victory was announced by the clerk of the National Assembly, Sani Tambawal
Magaji who said Akpabio emerged the winner with 63 votes leaving his rival with
46 votes.
Akpabio is the first South-Southerner to be
elected President of the Senate since Nigeria got its independence in 1960.
Heraldviews reports that in the last general
election, the APC party secured the majority of seats in the green chamber with
over 170, followed by the PDP with over 100, the Labour Party with over 35, and
the New Nigeria People’s Party with about 20.
Many APC lawmakers expressed interest in
becoming the next Speaker of the House or Senate President, including Benjamin
Kalu, Ahmed Wase, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, Yusuf Gagdi, Aliyu Betara, Tajudeen
Abbas, Abdulraheem Olawuyi, Sani Jaji, Princess Onuoha, Abdulaziz Yari, Orji
Kalu, and Godswill Akpabio.
However, the APC officially zoned the Senate
President to the South-South (Akpabio), Deputy Senate President to the
North-West (Barau Jibrin), Speaker position to the North-West (Abass), and
Deputy Speaker to the South-East (Kalu).
Some APC hopefuls rejected the party’s
position and called for a review of the formula to include the North Central
geopolitical zone and not give two positions to the North-West.
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