Nigeria has a new senate President. He is former Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio wins the privilege to lead the 10th senate after a keenly contested election between him and former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdullaziz Yari.
It was the moment of truth- the moment many have been waiting for in the Senate as senator-elect filed out to make their choice of who takes the mantle of leadership.
It’s their first major task and it came moments after the Clerk to the National Assembly had announced a presidential proclamation that breath life into the new senate and calling for nominations.
As expected, the battle for the Senate Presidency turned out a horse race of two top contenders, Akpabio from Akwa Ibom and Yari from Zamfara state.
A momentary rancor in the chamber ensued after senator Isiaku Abbo from Adamawa State nominated the man from Zamfara to be the next Senate President.
The noise centered around Yari’s eligibility- whether or not he is ranking enough in the senate to take the seat.
But it didn’t take time for the boiling anger to simmer down and for the Clerk to order that the contest be put to voting in an open secret ballot manner.
Akpabio went into the contest looking more of the favorite-enjoying the backing of his governing All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola TINUBU.
But with Yari boosting of having the required number to cause an upset, the election, the contest had to be settled through the ballot.
At the end of the voting and counting exercise, Akpabio with 63 votes emerged the winner- and is declared the Senate President for the 10th assembly , leaving his challenger Abdullaziz Yari with 46 votes and the consolation of putting up a spirited fight.
The position of the Deputy Senate President did not present much conflict as senator Barau Jubrin from Kano North returned unopposed, but it was the climax many in APC had looked forward to in the build up.
With the leadership formed, the President of the senate, Godswill Akpabio then swore in the remaining 107 senator-elect in the presence of signatories and top members of the ruling All Progressives Congress who had come to witness the making of the 10th Senate.
