Godswill Akpabio Elected Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.
Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, has emerged as the Senate President of the 10th Assembly in a recent election. Akpabio, who was the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was paired with Jibrin Barau, the senator representing Kano South.
Read Also Live Updates: 10th National Assembly Inauguration [NASS Inauguration]
In a swift process, a recess was taken, and the Clerk subsequently declared Akpabio as the Senate President after he secured 63 votes, leaving his rival with 46 votes.
Abdulaziz Yari was defeated by Akpabio, the All Progressives Congress’s chosen candidate, to succeed Ahmed Lawan.
Meanwhile, Abdulaziz Yari, the former governor of Zamfara, is vying for the position of Chief Whip of the Tenth Senate, while Orji Kalu is running for the position of deputy.
Contrary to the scheduled time of 10 a.m., the election commenced earlier, at around 9 a.m.
Sani Tambuwal, the Clerk of the National Assembly, is present in the Senate Chamber and is presiding over the session. The clerk has called for nominations.
Ali Ndume, the senator-elect for Borno South, nominated Godswill Akpabio, the senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-East, for the role of Senate President. Akpabio graciously accepted the nomination. On the other hand, Elisha Abbo, the senator-elect for Adamawa North, nominated Abdulaziz Yari, the senator-elect for Zamfara West.
There was some opposition from senators who argued that Yari should not be eligible for the position as a first-time senator.
Following the alphabetical order, the lawmakers cast their votes, and two representatives from each team were appointed to count the votes. Senators Adeola Solomon and Ndume represented Senator Akpabio, while Abbo and Jimoh Ibrahim, the senator-elect representing Ondo South Senatorial District, represented Senator Yari.
