June 13: We’ve enough number to win Senate Presidency -Akpabio boasts

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A leading aspirant for the 10th Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has expressed confidence in securing the required number of support across party affiliations from the Senators-elect to defeat opponents.
The former governor of Akwa Ibom said this when he led senators-elect from various political parties on a courtesy call on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State at the State House Marina, to seek the support of the Lagos State Government for his emergence as the next Senate President.
This comes as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) battles pressures from two sides on whether or not to revisit its zoning template.
Recall that the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, a South-South governor and some power brokers had moved in to ensure that the party’s choices prevail.
The APC National Working Committee, NWC, had, last week unveiled Akpabio (South-South) as Senate president; Jibrin Barau (North-West) as Deputy Senate president; Tajudeen Abass (North-West) as speaker; and Benjamin Kalu (South-East) as Deputy Speaker of the 10th National Assembly.
Akpabio, however, promised that the Senators-elect would collaborate with others and Governor Sanwo-Olu to ensure Lagos succeeds.
He said, “This is a stability group of the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We have the numbers; we have men and women of virtue across party affiliations on our side. We have come today to show ourselves to the Lagos State Governor and solicit his support to endorse Senator Akpabio and Senator Jibrin, as Senate President and deputy Senator President respectively.
“We are determined to express support for the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. We believe that his project, is a nationalistic project which will bring more goodies to Nigeria.”
In his response, Sanwo-Olu commended the Senators-elect for displaying a high sense of responsibility and threw his weight behind them.