David Umahi, the governor of Ebonyi state, has withdrawn his bid for the position of Senate President and has instead endorsed Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs.
Umahi, who will be a first-time senator when the 10th senate is inaugurated in June, revealed that he had met with President-elect Bola Tinubu, who advised him not to run.
The Senate’s standing orders favour ranking lawmakers, which means that returning senators with legislative experience are more likely to be elected.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Akpabio, Umahi confirmed that he was not considering the post of deputy senate president and had stepped down for his “brother” Akpabio.
Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, also stated that Akpabio is the president’s preferred choice for the position, but did not specify whether he was referring to President Muhammadu Buhari or the president-elect.
The announcement follows comments by Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of Kano, who stated that Akpabio would be the next senate president.
Orji Uzor Kalu, the current chief whip of the senate, has also expressed an interest in running for the position.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
