By Charles Adingupu
As the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly inches closer, the battle for the leadership of the Senate gets tougher as the leading contender, former Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio claims the endorsement of 70 out of 109 Senators elected into the 10th Assembly.
This feat was reportedly accomplished by Senator Akpabio following a great deal of horse trading on his behalf by a group of APC party members which styled itself as the “Stability Group.”
A prominent Senator and Director General of Akpabio’s Campaign, Ali Ndume disclosed this when members of the Stability Group stormed the office of the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.
Senator Ndume said that apart from the 49 members of the stability group who pledged unalloyed support for the realisation of Akpabio’s aspirations, others who were not present in the meeting but have appended their signatures brought the total number of Senators behind Akpabio to 70.
He disclosed that a machinery is already in place to cajole senators from other political parties to endorse Akpabio.
The Campaign DG who enjoined Party members present at the meeting to work assiduously for the emergence of Akpabio as the President of the 10th Senate, said the choice of Akpabio was predicated on the desire of the President elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to build a government of inclusiveness where every region would be adequately represented.
“I’m very much qualified to vie for the seat of the Senate President, and so are other members who are eminently qualified. But we must join hands with the President elect to build a government of national stability. Hence, we have to jettison our ambition,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, Akpabio thanked the lawmakers for their endorsement, and promised to justify the confidence reposed on him.
Akpabio also urged other APC senators yet to endorse his candidacy to endeavour to do so as well as work on other Senators in the upper chamber to support him.
His words: “Party supremacy must be uppermost in our dealings, and obeying party leaders is like obeying God.”
He promised to work with the President elect to ensure that Nigeria is stabilises and all debt owed by NIgeria is paid.
The APC National Chairman advised Akpabio against coming late to the senate election in order to forestall a repeat of the unpleasant experience that led to the emergence of Bukola Saraki as the Senate President of the 8th National Assembly.
