Godswill Akpabio, the newly elected Senate President, does not care whether the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will be labelled as โrubber stampโ or not.
According to Akpabio, all that matters is that the lives of Nigerians get positively transformed through the โRenewed Hopeโ agenda of the Bola Tinubuโs presidency.
Akpabio, however, assured President Tinubu that the 10th Senate will work for the success of his (Tinubu) government.
Akpabio gave the assurance while giving his first speech as the President of the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The new elected Senate President said: โThe country is at a cross road, we are struggling with a lot of difficulties, we just inherited an economy that requires renewal, revitalization. I want to thank President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for the steps they have taken so far which as given a lot of Nigerians hope.
โI want to assure Mr President, no matter what name the senate is called, we are here to do national duties. This senate is about Nigeria and Nigerians, so long as the policies that come to this chambers contain the empowerment and upliftment of Nigerians, we shall dwell and deliberate and have robust public hearings. We will work closely with the executives of government while maintaining the normal independence of the legislature.
โLet me thank the president for the choice of Senator Godswill Akpabio and for the choice of Senator Jibri Barau and also thanked the party, the All Progressives Congress, for the zoning system that brought all of us and especially thank my colleagues, my brothers and my sisters in the 10th assembly for voting for us across party lines. This is the way we shall continue to be together, whatever will happen here, we will think Nigeria, dwell on Nigeria and make a very big difference.
โI want to further assure you that the enormous responsibility facing us, we shall tackle them headlong. We will work closely with the house of representatives. We will try our best to also make laws that will enable foreign direct investment into the country, the current administration as brought about the acronym of renewed hope and I think this Senate will join in ensuring a total renewal of hope for Nigerians. I still do not believe in politically motivated infrastructure, therefore, the 10th senate of the federal republic of Nigeria will ensure very serious oversight functions to make sure we do not waste the resources of the country. We will put members of the executives on their toes particularly the ministers when they are appointed.
โWe will not betray the people of Nigeria.โ
Akpabio also assured members of the 10th Senate that despite being the leader, he will continue to work with them and for them.
โI will be a senate president that will stand for all, including distinguished Senator Yari. Whether he was qualified to contest or not. It did not matter, what matter is that democracy took root in this chambers today. So let me congratulate you for a hard fight.โ
Speaking to Yari directly, Akpabio said: โI want to work directly with you. I already discussed with you privately that we are going to work together. What has happened today is historic. This is the first time in Nigerian senate that you have eight political parties seated in one chamber. What that means is that as soon as you pass through the door, you enter this red chamber, you become a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and no longer of your political party and I will treat you so.โ
Back story
The election for the 10 senate presidency started at about 9 am today.
After the Clerk of the National Assembly called for nominations, the senator-elect for Borno South, Ali Ndume, nominated Godswill Akpabio, senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-East, as President of the Senate. Akpabio accepted the nomination; while Elisha Abbo, senator-elect for Adamawa North, nominated Abdulaziz Yari, senator-elect for Zamfara West.
The senators protested that Yari was not allowed to stand for the position as a first-time senator.
After the lawmakers cast their votes in alphabetical order, two representatives of each team came to count their votes.
Senators Adeola Solomon and Ndume came out to represent Senator Akpabio, while Abbo and the senator-elect representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, represented Senator Yari.
Akpabio got highest number of votes out of the 109 votes cast.
The former Akwa Ibom governor scored 63 votes defeating Senator Yari who scored 46 votes.
