Inside Nigeria
Senate President: Akpabio Is Our Choice, Says Gov Ganduje
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has revealed that the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, would be elected next Senate President of Nigeria.
Ganduje spoke in Calabar, the Cross River State during a courtesy visit to his Cross River counterpart, Prof. Ben Ayade.
The Kano governor, who was accompanied by the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari said the decision to nominate Akpabio was already a done deal.
He, however, did not explain if it was a decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership.
“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.
“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,” Ganduje said.
On his part, Ayade expressed gratitude for the choice of Akpabio saying: “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.”
Akpabio and Orji Kalu, a former governor of Abia state, are among the front runners from the south for the Senate President seat.