Staff Writer
Senator Opeyemi Bamidele of the APC from Ekiti Central has been named the Senate Majority Leader, and Senator Ali Ndume of the APC from Borno South has been named the Senate Chief Whip, according to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio also named Senators Dave Umahi, APC, of Ebonyi South as the Deputy Leader and Lola Ashiru, APC, of Kwara South as the Deputy Whip while reading a letter from the All Progressives Congress, APC.
After praying upon entering the Holy Chamber at 11.18 a.m., Akpabio urged Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of the APC from Abia North to move for the acceptance of the votes and proceedings from June 14th, with Senator Ezenwa of the Imo East party seconding.
Recall that the four candidates chosen by the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is in power, to lead the Senate and House of Representatives, triumphed in their June elections.
The four chosen candidates are Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Jibrin Barau, Benjamin Kalu, and Senate President Akpabio.
While Barau and Kalu won without a fight, Akpabio triumphed after a hard fight, while Abass easily defeated his two rivals.
Former governor of Akwa Ibom State and former Senate Minority Leader Akpabio received 63 votes in the Senate, where all 109 senators participated, defeating Senator Abdulaziz Yari (APC, Zamfara West), a former governor of Zamfara State, who received 46 votes.
Abass had an easy time winning the support of 353 of the 359 newly inaugurated representatives in the House of Representatives. Idris Wase and Aminu Jaji, his rivals, received three votes each.
Details to come…
