Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has been elected as Senate President during the inauguration of the 10th Senate on Tuesday morning.
The 109 Senators had converged for the election of key officers of the upper legislative chambers of the National Assembly.
Senator Godswill Akpabio, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Akwa Ibom North West, and Senator Abdulaziz Yari from Zamfara North West, who is also of the APC, were the two contenders for the office of the number three citizen.
Africa Today News, New York had earlier reported that Senator Ali Ndume from Borno South, nominated Akpabio while Senator Elisha Abbo from Adamawa North nominated Yari.
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No sooner than he nominated Yari than some lawmakers started protesting but Abbo stood his ground while shouting on top of his voice.
He had challenged those opposed to Yari’s nomination to go to court.
Akpabio had recently appealed to Nigerians and members of the incoming 10th National Assembly not to assess him using his brief stay as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
Akpabio said he preferred to be assessed by his record as a lawyer of 36 years, Commissioner of six years, and a governor for eight years.
Recall that he was first elected to the Nigerian Senate in 2015 from where he became the Minority Leader on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. before, he later defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Akpabio resigned his position as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to contest the presidential primaries of the APC for the 2023 general elections but later stepped down for the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
He promised that as Senate President, Nigerians he would sustain the January-December budget cycle initiated by the 9th National Assembly.