“Senator Barau Jibrin from Kano state has been declared deputy senate president. While Orji Uzoh Kalu who lobbied vigorously to the point of speaking against the South East Presidential bid got nothing in return.”
Godswill Akpabio, senator representing Akwa Ibom north-west, has been elected as the senate president.
He defeated Abdulaziz Yari, senator representing Zamfara central, to win the election on Tuesday.
Akpabio polled 63 votes, while Yari scored 46 votes.
Senator Barau Jibrin from Kano state has been declared deputy senate president. While Orji Uzoh Kalu who lobbied vigorously to the point of speaking against the South East Presidential bid got nothing in return for all his shenanigans against the South East political bloc.
Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs, was the preferred candidate of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the contest.
The clerk of the national assembly administered the oath of office on Akpabio and handed over the gavel and a copy of the senate standing rules to Akpabio.
Akpabio has just exercised his authority for the first time by hitting the gavel and is now swearing in senators-elect. Afterwards, the 10th senate can commence the business of legislation.
Akpabio, 60, served as governor of Akwa Ibom from 2007 to 2015 and senate minority leader from 2015 to 2018.
He was appointed minister of Niger Delta affairs by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 and resigned in June 2022 to contest the presidential primaries of the APC.
Godswill Akpabio, former APC presidential aspirant stepped down on the night of the primary election, alongside others, for the INEC declared winner of the general election President Bola Tinubu.
He was re-elected senator in 2023 and commenced moves to become senate president.
