Ganduje says Akpabio next senate president
Governor of Kano state Abdullahi Ganduje has stated that the former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, would be the next senate president.
Ganduje reportedly said so at a meeting involving himself, the chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari and Cross Rivers Governor Ben Ayade.
He allegedly said, “The senate president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will come from the south-south and it is no other person than the former governor of Akwa Ibom,” he said.
“The uncommon governor, the uncommon minister who is going to be the uncommon president of the senate. So we have resolved that.
“I am giving you assurance, we are waiting for the D-Day that he will be the senate president of Nigeria.”
Responding to Ganduje, Governor Ayade expressed his gratitude to his colleague for backing Akpabio for the position.
“I want to thank you so much for zoning the senate president to the south-south and to our brother from a neighbouring state who is also part of Cross River state.
“We want to thank you for this great opportunity because our dream of a Bakassi seaport is becoming very real,” he said.
TheCornet had reported that some senators have indicated their interests in becoming the next senate president. Among them are two southerners, namely Akpabio and the current chief whip of the senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
Others include Senator Barau, Senator Abdulaziz Yari. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to indicate zoning arrangement for sharing of national assembly leadership positions.
Nigeria operates a distributive federalism in which elected and appointive positions are shared between Christians and Muslims and among ethnicities through politically delineated zones.
