Senator Godswill Akpabio has become the President of the 10th Senate.
The former Governor of Akwa Ibom State was on Tuesday officially elected into the position by senators-elect in a keenly contested election.
The voting for a new Senate President, had commenced at about 9a.m on Tuesday, between Akpabio, who is the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator-elect Abdulazeez Yari.
Earlier, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sani Tambuwal, had called for nominations, and the senator-elect for Borno South, Ali Ndume, nominated Godswill Akpabio, senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-East, as President of the Senate, while Elisha Abbo, senator-elect for Adamawa North, nominated Abdulaziz Yari, senator-elect for Zamfara West. Both nominees had accepted their nominations for the voting that lasted for about an hour (10am) to commence.
Some supporters of Senator Akpabio, however, protested Yari’s nomination insisting he was not qualified to stand for election into the position being a first-time senator.
Announcing the winner of the election, following a short recess, Clerk of the National Assembly, declared Akpabio, as the new Senate President having polled 63 votes leaving his rival with 46 votes.
Details later…