The aspiration of Senators-elect Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin Barau for Senate Presidency and Deputy Senate Presidency of the 10th Senate received a major boost last Tuesday.
The latest endorsements of the duo came from the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District in Edo State.
Senator Shettima told more than 70 Senators-elect, who are members of the Stability Group rooting for Akpabio and Jibrin led by Senator Ali Ndume, at his campaign office in Abuja that the choice was the best decision made by the party leadership and the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the interest of a stable polity based on competence.
Also read: Akpabio, Jibrin get more endorsements for Senate leadership
Also, the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senator-elect, Adams Oshiomhole on Sunday threw his weight behind the party’s National Working Committee’s choices for the positions of the Senate President and Deputy.
Earlier, Oshiomhole had indicated interest to vie for Senate Presidency but with the adoption of Akpabio by the party’s National Working Committee, he backed down.
Recall that the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the party had endorsed Senators Akpabio and Barau as their preferred choice for the office of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
Addressing journalists at the campaign office, after a closed door meeting with members of the Stability Group of the 10th Senate in Abuja, the former Edom State Governor said, “As a former National Chairman of the party, I have no choice but support the position of the party’s leadership and the President-elect.
“At this point in time it is not about personal ambitions but the realization of stability for his renewed hope agenda for Nigerians.”
In his reaction, the party’s preferred candidate for the position of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin commended Oshiomhole for standing and embracing the decision of the party as a true party man.
According to Barau, “I thank our former Chairman and Senator-Elect, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. He was the one who worked for the emergence of the incumbent Senate President, Ahmed Lawan and now that he has joined the Stability Group, we are home and dry.
‘‘He is here to repeat what he did exactly four years ago. He has not only joined the group, he came with another Senator-elect from Edo State and we know that he would bring more.”
Responding, Senator Akpabio thanked Oshiomhole for supporting his aspiration as pronounced by the party leadership.
“I pray that our coming together will lead to victory on 13th June, so that we can together, stabilise the government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Akpabio noted.
Meanwhile, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Saturday, conferred the highest honour of the state, the Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS), on former Akwa Ibom State governor and APC preferred candidate for the office of Senate President of the 10th Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Among those who also received the highest honour were the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-rufai his Imo State counterpart, Senator Hope Uzodimma and the Rivers State Governor-elect, Siminal Fubara.
The ceremony took place during the Pre-Inauguration Dinner and Awards in the state Banquet Hall, Government House, Port Harcourt.
