…Barau emerges Deputy Senate President, Kalu emerged Deputy Speaker of the House
…Election was transparent – Sanwo-olu
The preferred candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Godswill Akpabio has emerged as the new President of the Senate in the just inaugurated 10th National Assembly.
Akpabio, was a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, a former Senate Minority leader and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
He got 63 votes to beat his challenger and former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’aziz Yari, who got 46 votes.
The voting in the election of a new Senate President had commenced at about 8.45 am with Akpabio and former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator-elect Abdulazeez Yari, going head to head with each other.
After the Clerk of the National Assembly called for nominations, the senator-elect for Borno South, Ali Ndume, nominated Godswill Akpabio, senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-East as the Senate President, while Senator Olamilekan Adeola from Ogun-West seconded with Akpabio accepting the nomination.
Elisha Abbo, senator-elect for Adamawa North, nominated Abdulaziz Yari, senator-elect for Zamfara West and was seconded by Jimoh Ibrahim, senator-elect representing Ondo South Senatorial District.
A rowdy session ensued as some senators protested that Yari was not allowed to stand for the position as he is a first-time senator and not a ranking member of the upper legislative chamber.
After the lawmakers cast their votes in alphabetical order with the voting ending around 9.15 am, two representatives of each team came to count their votes.
Senators Adeola Solomon and Ndume came out to represent Senator Akpabio, while Abbo and the senator-elect representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, represented Senator Yari.
After sorting the votes, Senator Akpabio was declared the winner of the contest.
Senator Jibrin Barau, who represents Kano North Senatorial District, emerged unopposed as Senate Deputy President, succeeding Ovie Omo-Agege.
The House of Representatives
In a related development, the candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Tajudeen Abbas, has emerged as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Abbas is representing Zaria Federal Constituency in Kaduna State.
Abbas pulled 353 votes out of 359 to thrash the other contestants, outgoing Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, and Sani Jaji, who scores 3 votes each. He defeated both Wase and Jaji in a voice vote on Tuesday at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Abbas, who has been a member of the House since 2011, was subsequently sworn in as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives succeeding Femi Gbajabiamila who is now the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
Meanwhile, a member representing Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State, Benjamin Kalu emerged the Deputy Speaker of the House. He emerged unopposed and succeeds Deputy Speaker of the House for the 9th National Assembly, Wase.
Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has also called the elections in the National Assembly “transparent” reflecting the views of the members-elect.
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