Few hours to the inauguration of the 10th Senate, two leading contenders for the position of the President of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu and Osita Izunaso, on Monday, met with Godswill Akpabio.
Similarly, President of the 9th Senate, Ahmad Lawan, also met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Godswill, where the Yobe senator promised to deliver the former Akwa Ibom State Governor on Tuesday.
Director-General of Akpabio Campaign Council, Mohammed Ali Ndume, told newsmen that 15 senators-elect from the South East, met with Akpabio, where they reportedly endorsed his candidacy.
With the purported endorsement, Abdulaziz Yari’s bid, may have hit the rocks and his plans of usurping the zoning arrangements, may have failed.
Speaking furthe, Ndume said former governors from the North, who hitherto refused to support Akpabio, have also made a U-turn. He listed Danjuma Goje, Aliyu Wamakko, Adamu Aliero, among others.
He said Sani Musa who had settled for the position of the Deputy President of the Senate, has also stepped down and has endorsed Jibrin Barau.
Ndume said with the intervention of All Progressives Congress (APC) governors, party leaders, President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, the coast is now clear for Akpabio to emerge on Tuesday, as President of the 10th Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly.
He said: “There were two meetings on Tuesday. One between Tinubu, Lawan and Akpabio. At the meeting, Lawan who is the leader of Northern senators opposed to Akpabio, decided to support him.
“That means Goje, Aliero, Wamakko and others opposed to Akpabio have now decided to back him. The coast is clear now. Sani Musa too has decided to back him.
“There was another meeting with South East senators-elect. We met and Kalu was there. Izunaso was also there. They’ve both decided to support him. All the 15 senators-elect from the South East are backing Akpabio.”
He said those opposed to Akpabio’s emergence are now in the minority. He revealed that they’re now predominantly members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), loyal to Atiku Abubakar.
