As the inauguration of the next assembly approaches, the joint ticket of former Akwa Ibom State governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Barau Jibrin has secured 61 signatures from senators-elect across party lines for the Senate Presidency of the 10th assembly. Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State and a contender for the position, remains adamant about contesting the Senate presidency, scheduled for June 13.
A ranking senator from the Akpabio/Barau camp disclosed the number of signatures and emphasized the bipartisan support. Akpabio and Barau are among nine contenders vying for the Senate presidency. Sources revealed that Senator Ali Ndume, another frontrunner, was asked by the president-elect to abandon his ambition and support the Akpabio/Barau ticket. Ndume reportedly agreed to the request.
“The President-elect summoned Ndume and asked him to step down for Akpabio in the interest of national cohesion, fairness, and religious balancing which he obliged,” a lawmaker said. Efforts to convince Yari to step down have been unsuccessful. The Akpabio/Barau camp aims to collect 70 signatures before the inauguration, with the president-elect advocating for a consensus ticket to persuade senators to join the cause.
