The lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, Senator Ali Ndume has disclosed how President Bola Tinubu had to make calls, visit and beg some people for Senator Godswill Akpabio to emerge as the Senate President.
Ndume said this while speaking on the role Tinubu played in ensuring the preferred candidates of the APC emerged victorious during the election of principal officers of the 10th National Assembly which took place in Abuja on Tuesday.
It would be recalled that Akpabio who is the preferred candidate of the President and the APC leadership, emerged as the Senate President on Tuesday with 63 votes, defeating his lone challenger for the post, Abdulaziz Yari who got 46 votes.
Speaking on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels TV, Ndume revealed that President Tinubu put in the necessary effort including sneaking out to beg some people in order to ensure Akpabio’s emergence.
According to Ndume, President Tinubu believes Akpabio is well-qualified, supported him, and had foot soldiers complement the efforts.
He said, “So many factors helped Akpabio’s victory; when I contested the last time, the President endorsed Ahmed Lawan. So it’s almost a repetition of the same thing.
“The party and the president had a preferred candidate, but this President because he is an experienced politician, played lots of Politics in it. He deployed his foot soldiers to complement our efforts, and that made a difference.”
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