Former governor and also former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday morning ended all speculations and agitations when he was elected as Senate President during the inauguration of the 10th Senate.

The 109 Senators had converged for the election of key officers of the upper legislative chambers of the National Assembly.
According to the final results, Akpabio, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Akwa Ibom South-South, won with 63 votes while Senator Abdulaziz Yari from Zamfara North West, who is also of the APC, got 46 votes, while absent was nil.
It was earlier reported that Senator Ali Ndume from Borno South, nominated Akpabio while Senator Elisha Abbo from Adamawa North nominated Yari.
No sooner than he nominated Yari than some lawmakers started protesting but Abbo stood his ground while shouting on top of his voice.

He had challenged those opposed to Yari’s nomination to go to court.
Akpabio’s emergence is not a surprise as President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress zoning arrangement had openly favoured him.
This is amid fears by Nigerians that the 10tth National Assembly might also be a rubber-stamp like the preceding legislature headed by Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila.
The All Progressives Congress’ National Working Committee had micro-zoned the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President seats to Senator Godswill Akpabio from South-South and Senator Jibrin Barau from North-West, respectively.
Also last week it was reported that Senator Ali Ndume disclosed that Tinubu revealed to him that Akpabio was his prefered candidate for President of the 10th Nigerian Senate.
“The President told me that his preferred candidate is Akpabio and I should lead the campaign,” Ndume said.

The federal lawmaker from Borno South equally expressed confidence that the President would not change his stance on the leadership of the 10th Senate.
There were calls on Tinubu from several quarters not to meddle in the leadership of the National Assembly nor foist any anointed candidate on the lawmakers.
Akpabio on his part is facing corruption investigations from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and had recently refused to honour invitations from the anti-graft agency.