Godswill Akpabio, former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, was 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.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Senator Ali Ndume from Borno South, nominated Akpabio while Senator Elisha Abbo from Adamawa North nominated Yari.
No sooner than he nominated Yari than some lawmakers started protesting but Abbo stood his ground while shouting at the top of his voice.
He had challenged those opposed to Yari’s nomination to go to court.
There were cheers in the House of Representatives as a former aspirant for Speaker, Aliyu Betara, voted for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Tajudeen Abbas.
As Betara was called to declare his choice among the three contenders for the position, members-elect cheered and clapped for him.
The lawmaker declared his vote for Abbas.
Betara was a top contender for the position until he recently stepped down as the APC candidate after interventions by President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima, as well as the national leadership of the ruling party.
Betara, from Borno State, was seated beside another former front-runner for Speaker, Yusuf Gagdi, from Plateau State.
Both Betara and Gagdi were part of the G-7, a group of aspirants aggrieved with the endorsement of Abbas by the APC.
However, two members of the G-7, the outgoing Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, and Sani Jaji are contesting against Abbas.
