Photo: Sen Godswill Akpabio
Breaking: APC governors endorse Akpabio for Senate President
Governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have endorsed a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Sen Godswill Akpabio for the position of the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.
The APC governors also proposed that the position of majority leader, deputy majority leader and chief whip should be used as compensation for those that may be asked to step down from running from the four presiding officers position.
Confirming the development, Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, said the APC governors under the aegis of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) had resolved to zone the next Senate President to the South-south geopolitical region of the country.
In a video showing him at a meeting with the governors and some individuals circulating on the internet by African Independent Television (AIT), Mr Ganduje affirmed that the APC governors have decided to support Akpabio, who is from the South-South.
“The Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will come from the South-south and no other person than the former governor of Akwa Ibom , the uncommon governor, the uncommon minister who will be the uncommon President of the Senate.
“We have resolved that, so we are giving you assurance. We are waiting for the deal day to be the Senate President of Nigeria,” Ganduje assured, adding that nothing would change the plan of the zoning formula that the governors had proposed for the party.
Responding, Ayade expressed appreciation to the APC governors for zoning the senate president to his geopolitical region and congratulated Akpabio as the next senate president.
Also in the video, Ayade was seen saying, “I want to also thank you so much for zoning the president of the Senate to the South-South and to our brother from our neighbouring state who is also part of Cross River State. We celebrate him and thank you for giving us this opportunity.”
Akpabio and Osita Izunaso who is from Imo State are the candidates jostling for the ticket of the senate president from the South-South geopolitical zone, and the duo had previously spent one term of four years in the senate.
They have also visited president Muhammadu Buhari to ostensibly persuade the president to facilitate the zoning to their region.
