Concerned about who succeeds him at the end of the 9th session of the Senate, outgoing President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has commenced moves aimed at putting a stumbling block as well as checkmating the ambition of former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio for the exalted number three office in the country.
Checks by Forefront News indicated that Senator Lawan, who returned to the Senate the same way like Akpabio having contested two elections in the same period contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, led some concerned Senators to meet with the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his perceived adoption of Akpabio as the next President of the Senate.
It was gathered that Lawan at the meeting with Tinubu passionately appealed to him to reconsider his choice with the view of withdrawing his initial support for Akpabio, who was Senate Minority Leader before he was nominated and confirmed as a Minister of the Federal Republic.
The Lawan-led group made up of some ranking senators and senators-elect, took time to brief Tinubu on the activities of Akpabio as Minister of the Niger Delta during which he superintended over the affairs of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) thus, seriously entangled with credibility baggage which if unearthed would further cast aspersion on the ruling All progressives Congress (APC)-led government and by extension the new administration of Tinubu.
Forefront News also gathered that the Senators were particularly angered over the management of the NDDC under the watch of Akpabio as supervising Minister as he was believed to had deliberately frustrated the inauguration of the Board and management appointed and duly screened and confirmed by the Senate in November 2019.
It was further gathered that Lawan also told Tinubu that it would be difficult to persuade majority of the Senators into agreeing to support the senate presidency of Akpabio, who clearly showed and treated the National Assembly with disdain when he served as Minister.
A source at the meeting said; “Lawan pointedly told Tinubu that Akpabio would be difficult to market for the exalted seat in the Senate because he is seriously encumbered with lack of credibility and has too many cases with the EFCC among other issues”.
Further checks indicated that at the end of the meeting, the president-elect was convinced on the need to drop his support and adoption of Akpabio, who is one of the leading contenders for the Senate Presidency on the platform of the APC.
Others notable contenders include the Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Umahi, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and former governor of Edo State and also former national chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
