Victor Ezeja
Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has been sworn in as Senate President.
This followed an election that took place during the inauguration of the 10th Senate on Tuesday.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Clerk of the National Assembly, Sani Tambuwal, administered the oath of office on Akpabio to lead the 10th Senate.
Akpabio, representing Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district, scored 63 votes defeating his fellow contender Abdulaziz Yari, who got 46 votes.
With the election, Akpabio has succeeded Ahmad Lawan as Senate President.
It was a two-horse race between Akpabio and Yari, who are top-ranking chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akpabio and his deputy, Jibrin Barau, were anointed candidates for the APC.
Yari, a former Zamfara State governor, had before now protested the endorsement of Akpabio and demanded that the endorsement be reviewed but the APC did not shift ground.
While some APC senators rejected the zoning arrangement of the National Assembly principal officers position and supported Yari, others asked the Zamfara lawmaker to drop his ambition.
The APC secured about 70 seats in the Senate, the highest by any party, followed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP), and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
