Senate Presidency: Akpabio’s Camp In Panic As APC, Tinubu Reconsider Endorsement

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Apprehension erupted on Wednesday in the camp of a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, over the alleged withdrawal of support by President Bola Tinubu, for him in the contest for the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.

Accordingly, Senators mostly from the South West have called for a meeting on Friday where they would review their position and chart a new course on the leadership of the Senate.

A Senator from one of the States in the South West disclosed to our correspondent on condition of anonymity that the meeting was scheduled for Friday as they wanted to know the outcome of a crucial meeting of the leading tendency among the Senators-elect scheduled for Thursday, which they have strategically asked some of their members to attend.

Recall that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had in an ambiguous press statement two weeks ago announced the endorsement of Senator Godswill Akpabio and three others for the topmost positions in the National Assembly.

Senator Akpabio from South-South was endorsed for Senate President, Senator Jubrin Barau from the North-west for Deputy Senate President, Honourable Tajudeen Abass, North-west for Speaker, House of Representatives and Hon. Kanu, South-East for Deputy Speaker.

The announcement was greeted with protests, condemnations and strong criticisms across the country. While many queried the reasonability of the party allotting two of the six presiding offices in the National Assembly to a zone and leaving the North Central without any position many others criticized the zoning of deputy speaker to the South-East instead of the presidency of the Senate generally believed to be due to the zone.

In addition, Nigerians were outraged by the micro zoning of the position of Senate President to Senator Godswill Akpabio who is at present being investigated by anti-graft agencies for a series of cases bothering on sleaze.

However, inundated with the implications of supporting a Senator known all over the world to be facing criminal cases of corruption, President Bola Tinubu was said to have heeded the advice of his trusted political allies by tacitly withdrawing his support for the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio.