Godswill Akpabio Emerges as Senate President in a Historic Election

Ilesanmi AdekanbiJune 13, 2023

2 minutes read

The former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and ex-governor of Akwa Ibom State, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, has made history by becoming the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly. He defeated his main rival, Sen. Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, in a keenly contested election that took place in Abuja on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.

Akpabio, who is the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), garnered 63 votes out of the 109 senators-elect, while Yari got 46 votes.

Akpabio was nominated by Sen. Ali Ndume from Borno South and seconded by Sen. Elisha Abbo from Adamawa North. Yari was nominated by Abbo and seconded by Sen. Jimoh Ibrahim from Ondo South.

Akpabio’s victory was greeted with jubilation by his supporters and party members, who described him as a visionary leader and a unifying factor in the Senate. He was sworn in by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sani Tambuwal, who presided over the session.

Akpabio will be assisted by Sen. Jibrin Barau from Kano South, who emerged as the Deputy Senate President with 58 votes, defeating Sen. Orji Kalu from Abia North, who got 51 votes. Barau was nominated by Sen. Adeola Solomon from Lagos West and seconded by Ndume.

The election of the Senate leadership started before 9 a.m., against the announced time of 10 a.m., amid tight security. The senators-elect cast their votes in alphabetical order, using secret ballot system. The votes were counted by two representatives of each team.

Akpabio, who was born on December 9, 1962, is a lawyer and a seasoned politician who has served in various capacities at both state and federal levels. He was the governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015, where he initiated several developmental projects and programmes that earned him accolades and awards.

He was also the Senate Minority Leader from 2015 to 2018, before he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in 2018. He was appointed as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs in 2019, where he oversaw the affairs of the oil-rich region until he resigned on May 11, 2022, to contest for the Senate presidency.

Akpabio is married to Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, who is the founder of Family Life Enhancement Initiative (FLEI), a non-governmental organization that focuses on family development. They have four daughters and a son.

Akpabio has promised to work with his colleagues and other arms of government to deliver good governance and dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

He has also pledged to uphold the independence and integrity of the Senate, while maintaining cordial relationship with the executive and the judiciary.

He has also assured Nigerians that he will champion the passage of bills that will address the challenges facing the country, such as insecurity, unemployment, poverty, corruption, infrastructure deficit, health crisis, education reform, electoral reform, constitutional amendment, among others.

He has also expressed his gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and APC Leaders for their support and endorsement. He has also thanked his fellow senators-elect for their confidence and trust in him. He has also extended his hand of fellowship to his opponent, Yari, and other senators from other parties, urging them to join him in moving the Senate and the nation forward.