A former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and the anointed candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) Senator Godswill Akpabio has emerged as the new President of the Senate in the just inaugurated 10th National Assembly.
Akpabio, who was a former Senate Minority leader and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs got 63 votes to beat his challenger and former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’aziz Yari, who got 46 votes.
Tight contest
The voting in the election of a new Senate President had commenced at about 8.45 am with Akpabio and former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator-elect Abdulazeez Yari, going head to head with each other.
After the Clerk of the National Assembly called for nominations, the senator-elect for Borno South, Ali Ndume, nominated Godswill Akpabio, senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-East as the Senate President, while Senator Olamilekan Adeola from Ogun-West seconded with Akpabio accepting the nomination.
Elisha Abbo, senator-elect for Adamawa North, nominated Abdulaziz Yari, senator-elect for Zamfara West and was seconded by Jimoh Ibrahim, senator-elect representing Ondo South Senatorial District.
A rowdy session ensued as some senators protested that Yari was not allowed to stand for the position as he is a first-time senator and not a ranking member of the upper legislative chamber.
After the lawmakers cast their votes in alphabetical order with the voting ending around 9.15 am, two representatives of each team came to count their votes.
Senators Adeola Solomon and Ndume came out to represent Senator Akpabio, while Abbo and the senator-elect representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, represented Senator Yari.
After sorting the votes, Senator Akpabio was declared the winner of the contest.
Nice one Nigerian