Politics

10th NASS Leadership: Why Akpabio May Drop Senate Presidency Ambition

Published

2 years ago

April 10, 2023

As the race for the leadership of the incoming 10th National Assembly in both the Senate and the House of Representatives gathers momentum, strong indication has emerged Senator Godswill Akpabio may have dropped his ambition to run for Senate President.

In the alternative, Akpabio has decided to pursue a ministerial appointment in the cabinet of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

It will be recalled that Akpabio, a former Minority Leader of the Senate and immediate past minister of Niger Delta Affairs in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari resigned his portfolio following the provision of section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act of 2022 to contest the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

But at the convention ground, Akpabio stepped down for Tinubu’s who later won the party’s ticket and also went ahead to win the keenly co-tested February 25, 2023 presidential election.

Vanguard gathered from reliable sources within the party hierarchy and the National Assembly on Sunday Akpabio’s decision to drop his Senate presidential ambition was informed by the decision of the party to zone the slot to the South East.

One of the sources who pleaded anonymity said that barring any last minute eventuality, the party leadership will soon announce the zoning arrangements of all the presiding and principal offices both in the Senate and the House.

The source said that Akpabio who was also a former Akwa-Ibom State Governor has since escalated consultations to return his ministerial position specifically the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs where he resigned from in May 2022 to contest for the APC Presidential primaries.

Another possible push is also in the Ministry of petroleum where it was learnt the governor minister had vested interest too.

It was learnt that the Senate-elect has since informed his loyalists to tone down their campaign for his senate presidential ambition in the media to soften the ground to achieve his ministerial reappointment in Tinubu’s cabinet.

Tinubu will be sworn in as president on May 29, 2023, barely two months from now and he is mandated by a new law signed by President Buhari in the constitutional alterations to form his cabinet within 60 days of assumption of office.

While some have publicly declared their intention to vie for the office of the Senate President, others were yet to do so.

Some of the contenders for the President of the Senate included a former Governor of Abia State and current Chief Whip, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, Senators Jibrin Barau (APC, Kano North); Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South).

Also speculated to be in the list against the ranking standing rule are former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari (APC, Zamfara West); the outgoing Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi (APC, Ebonyi South), and a former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North).

The source said: “To avoid losing out Akpabio has since begun reaching out to Bola Tinubu personally and through his allies to return to any of the plum ministries which appears to be more favourable to the former two-time Governor when compared to the Senate President position.

“His chances are very dim and he knows this, our Party and the President-Elect are committed to forming a Government of National unity and quell restiveness in geo-political zones in the country beginning with the Southeast by giving them the opportunity to produce the next Senate President”.

Similarly, another source told the paper that the party was also seriously considering between the north west and central for the office of the speaker of the House of Representatives.

The office has at least 10 aspirants and these include, Rep. Ahmed Idris Wase from Plateau State, Rep. Makki Yalleman from Jigawa State, Rep. Adamu Yusuf Gagdi from Plateau State, Rep. Benjamin Kalu from Abia State, Rep. Peter Akpatason from Edo State, Rep. Muktar Aliyu Betara from Borno State, Rep. Sada Soli Jibia from Katsina State, Rep. Tunji Olawuyi from Kwara State, Rep. Abbas Tajuddeen from Kaduna State and Rep. Aminu Sani Jaji from Zamfara State.

Last Friday, the outgoing Speaker, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila held a private meeting with the aspirants except the only female aspirant, Hon. Mariam Onuoha from Imo State who was absent.

While there was no press statement as to what transpired in the meeting but a picture of the aspirants with the speaker released by his media office, one of the aspirants, Gagdi who was present said that the issue of preference for Rep. Tajueed Abbas came up.

“The Speaker did not call us to ask anybody to step down, as it’s being said. One, there are insinuations and accusations that he is supporting one Candidate, that is Tajudeen Abbas.

“He called that meeting first to know how we are campaigning as individuals and whether we have problems among us the Aspirants which we said no, we don’t have any problem.

“Then, some of the aspirants raised an issue that Speaker’s boys are using the Speaker’s name for that Aspirant (Tajudeen Abbas), that the Speaker asked them to campaign for him. And it has begun to create apprehension and tension.

“So, some people raised that observation for Speaker to call the attention of one of his staff that is parading himself that he’s under the instruction of Mr. Speaker to support one candidate. That was sorted out.

“Secondly, Speaker emphasized to us that he is a partyman and being the Speaker, he has never done anti-party. So, he assured us that any day, any time the party zones, he will be supporting the zone that the party zoned to. This is the only thing that happened. So, anybody that tells you anything outside that, is not true”, Gagdi said.

Similarly, a former chairman of the House committee on Appropriations, Hon. Jubrin Abdulmumuni, now a retuning lawmaker from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in an interview published by Sunday Vanguard but earlier aired on Channels TV said two aspiration Wase and Betara were not likely to step down for anyone but would want to run to the end of the contest irrespective of zoning.

He said: “Two candidates will not respect zoning even if they are zoned out and that is Wase and Betara.

“They will go because I’ve had conversation with them.

“They will go to the floor and test it and now, I tell you something, the party should not be upset with them.

“It is not largely because of what they want, it is because of the history of support base they’ve always had and is so massive and if you ask me point block today, no matter where the party do the zoning and you ask me who is going to, I’ll tell you that Betara is going to have 90% of the vote cast.

“I have also told you that two candidates have already gone far away beyond zoning. They’ve gone far. They’ve gone too far. Wase and of course, Betara and it is not only because I understand the history of where they came from.

“The volume of support that they have from members and the rest, I’ve also had conversation with them”.

VANGUARD

Related Topics:Akpabio Senate Presidency

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Politics

We May Not Have A Country If APC Retains Power In 2027 – El-Rufa’i Warns

Published

6 hours ago

August 3, 2025

Editor

Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, has issued a warning about Nigeria’s future, declaring that the country’s survival is at risk if the All Progressives Congress (APC) wins the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on Saturday, August 2, in Sokoto at a grassroots mobilisation rally for the opposition coalition led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), El-Rufai made clear his intention to campaign vigorously against the ruling party.

“I’m not in politics to get anything for myself. I’m in politics to serve,” he stated.

“When the government does not serve the people, it is my duty as a senior citizen to come out and condemn it and take steps to reverse the situation.

“That is why we come together as people opposed to the policies of this government to form the coalition, which has resulted in the adoption of ADC,” he explained.

El-Rufai, a former key member of the APC, said he is committed to rallying Nigerians across the country to unseat the party, describing it as “incompetent.”

“We are in Sokoto to begin the process of mobilising Nigerians against the APC government anywhere and the federal government in Abuja,” he said.

“I believe that if we allow this party and the government to continue for a second term in office, what remains of Nigeria’s social capital will be destroyed, and we may not have a country at all. This is a fight for our lives.”

El-Rufai was once a founding figure of the APC but left the party in March 2025 to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) following the Senate’s refusal to confirm his ministerial nomination, reportedly due to security concerns.

However, his time in the SDP was short-lived. The party expelled him and imposed a 30-year ban, citing alleged forgery of membership documents, among other accusations.

Now a leading figure in the opposition ADC, El-Rufa’i joins other prominent politicians in working against the APC ahead of the 2023 polls.

Politics

Opposition Will Collapse In Edo Before 2027, Says Okpebholo

Published

7 hours ago

August 3, 2025

Editor

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Saturday, said there will be a total collapse of the opposition in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He stated this during the flag-off of the campaign for the August 16th Senatorial by-election in Edo Central Senatorial District in Uromi.

He urged the candidates of the opposition parties to decamp to the ruling All Progressive Congress and join him in developing the State.

The governor was accompanied by the chairman of APC, Jarrett Tenebe, to receive decampees at the event. He expressed happiness that members of all other political parties are joining APC to ensure that development continues.

The decampees from PDP include Alhaji Esiwele Musa, Abraham Osazuwa, Sunny Ejie, and Robert Okoneme, amongst other PDP leaders across the 51 wards.

He said, “This is a test for 2027. I can tell you that 2027 is sure. Before 2027, there will be no opposition in Edo State anymore as all will join the APC because of the developmental achievements in the state.

“Hon. Joseph Ikpea will take over from me in the Senate. In this election, we will win five local governments out of five. We must win the entire 51 wards in the five local governments that make up the Senatorial District.

“I understand that it is only the candidates in the other parties that have not decamped to our party, the APC. I advise them not to waste their money but to join our party. If they give you money, take it and vote for the APC. The money is our money.

“We promised to give the President 2.5 million votes, and we are ready to deliver on our promises. We will not talk much because the election is a done deal. This is the first test for us as we do not have any opposition in the State anymore,” he said.

In his remarks, the Deputy Governor of the state, Dennis Idahosa, urged Esan people to support Okpebholo as he has brought development to the state due to his relationship with President Bola Tinubu.

He noted that the election is the first step to appreciate the president.

He said, “The President sees our Governor as his son, and the State enjoys the dividends of democracy. This is the first step to appreciate the governor and the president. We would not accept anything less than 90 per cent victory in the election.”

The APC party Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, who presented the party’s flag to the party’s candidate in the Senatorial by-election, Hon. Joseph Ikpe,a encouraged him to ensure he continues from where the Governor stopped in the Senate.

He noted that the governor, as a Senator, brought development to the Senatorial District.

Presenting the party’s symbol, which is the broom, to decampees at the event, Jarrett Tenebe thanked the governor for duly informing the Chairman of Esan North East Local Government Area about the flag off of the day, saying that it was the right thing to do.

He urged the decampees to join and support the party, and the Governor to ensure the developmental strides continue in Edo State.

The Director General of the Edo Senatorial by-election and former Speaker Edo State House of Assembly, Victor Edoror, commended the people for coming out en masse. He urged them to make sure they keep the spirit of the door-to-door campaign for the candidate of party and the election to ensure victory.

The APC candidate in the Senatorial by-election, Joseph Ikpea, thanked the party for the trust and promised to continue with the developmental strides the Governor brought to the Senatorial District as a Senator.

The APC Edo Central Senatorial leader, Gen. Cecil Esekhaigbe (rtd); APC Edo South leader, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu; Deputy State Chairman of APC, Sylvester Aigboboh; and other leaders, urged the people to all come out en masse to vote for the APC candidate in the by-election.

Politics

Anambra guber: Soludo Raises Alarm, Alledges Plot By APC To Manipulate Election

Published

14 hours ago

August 3, 2025

Editor

Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the forthcoming November 8, 2025, governorship election in Anambra State.

He also warned candidates from Anambra South vying for the governorship seat against destabilizing the state’s political balance.

The governor made the allegation while speaking at a massive All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) rally held at Ekwulobia Urban Stadium on Saturday. He stated that Anambra is “too big for charlatans” and must not be distracted by what he described as impostors and unserious aspirants.

He vowed that “street urchins won’t govern a state that produced Zik, Nwafor Orizu, Ojukwu, Achebe,” as he rallied party faithful in Aguata Local Government Area of the state.

Soludo dismissed as deceitful the promises made by some candidates to serve only one term, insisting that such individuals require “psychiatric evaluation.”

“Anambra doesn’t need street urchins as governor. This is the state that produced the likes of Zik of Africa, Dr. Nwafor Orizu, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, and Prof. Chinua Achebe, among others. It is too big for charlatans,” he declared.

He further alleged that some candidates were merely using their campaigns to extort money from unsuspecting businessmen and the public. According to him, the achievements of his administration over the past four years justify his bid for a second term.

In a renewed call for peace, Soludo again offered amnesty to armed groups hiding in the forests, urging them to surrender and embrace rehabilitation or face the full weight of the law.

Visibly impressed by the turnout at the rally, the governor noted that he had not yet officially launched his campaign but was humbled by the support.

He revealed that the rally was entirely organized and funded by party members determined to see him re-elected.

The rally, which took place on August 2, 2025, endorsed Soludo for a second term in office and adopted Chief Emma Nwachukwu as APGA’s candidate for the Anambra South senatorial by-election scheduled for August 16, 2025.

It drew an impressive crowd of party loyalists, traditional rulers, community leaders, and political stakeholders.

Also in attendance were the APGA National Chairman, state and local government executives, and former Deputy Governor, Dame Virgy Etiaba.

In a show of solidarity, APGA stakeholders in Anambra South presented a N100 million donation to support the governor’s campaign. Traditional rulers in the senatorial district also honoured Soludo with the “Olu Atuegwu” chieftaincy title — a title that has already been conferred on him in Anambra North and Central, respectively.