The outgoing Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has endorsed the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, as the next Senate President of Nigeria.
Ganduje spoke in Calabar, the Cross River State capital on Thursday 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.
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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.
“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,” the governor said.
“We want to thank you for this great opportunity because our dream of a Bakassi seaport is becoming very real.”
Akpabio, Orji Kalu, a former governor of Abia state, and Osita Izunaso who is from Imo State are the candidates jostling for the ticket of the senate president from South-south and South-east geopolitical zones.
Umahi withdraws from Senate Presidency
Meanwhile, Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi and an aspirant for the office of the Senate President, on Friday formally announced his withdrawal from the race.
Umahi has formally declared his support for Senator Godswill Akpabio’s candidacy.
According to him, Akpabio and Barau are the consensus choice of the President-elect for the Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively.
”As a loyal party man, I have no choice other than to accept and work for the choice of the President elect to emerge,” he added..
