The former minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has been elected as the 10th Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Akpabio polled 63 votes to defeat his closest rival and former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, who scored 46 votes.
The former governor of Akwa Ibom State, who is the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was paired with the senator representing Kano South, Jibrin Barau, who has emerged the Deputy Senate President unopposed.
While Yari ran with the former Chief Whip of the ninth Senate, Orji Kalu, as his deputy.
Against the announced time of 10 a.m., the election started before 9 a.m.
Sani Tambuwal, the Clerk of the National Assembly, is in the Senate Chamber and is presiding over the session. The clerk has called for nominations.
The senator-elect for Borno South, Ali Ndume, nominated Godswill Akpabio, senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-East, as president of the Senate. Akpabio accepted the nomination. While Elisha Abbo, senator-elect for Adamawa North, nominated Abdulaziz Yari, senator-elect for Zamfara West.
The senators protested that Yari was not allowed to stand for the position as a first-time senator.
After the lawmakers cast their votes in alphabetical order, 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.
