Baring last minute changes ahead of the 10th Senate Inauguration, 62 out of 109 elected senators have endorsed Senator Barau Jibrin from Kano State for the position of Senate President, sources have revealed.
A source close to Sen. Barau Jubrin from the Northwest, disclosed this after an emergency meeting in the early hours of Tuesday in Abuja.
The source explained that 62 Senator-elect have so far endorsed Senator Jibrin, confirming 46 of them were physically present at the all-night meeting held at the Transcorp Hilton, Hotel, Abuja.
The meeting focused on strategising to mobilise other Senators-elect to join hands in delivering Senator Barau Jibrin as the 10th Senate President.
The source said, “The lawmakers-elect, were against the nomination of Akpabio as Senate president.
“We Know that Tinubu’s preference for Akpabio was only to carry the Christians in Nigeria along, and not necessarily because of his competence or contribution to the success of the party. Unfortunately, Akpabio would not be able to pilot the affairs of the parliament.”
He further said, “We shall resist any attempt to anoint him or any aspirant on us, we are not children therefore capable of sorting ourselves to ensure that the Senate Presidency go to a competent and qualify Senator preferably from the Northwest and not the South, given the contributions of the zone to the victory of Tinubu during the February presidential Election”.
According to him, the North has contributed over 63 per cent of the votes that drove Tinubu to victory.
“We chose Jibrin because of his competent and unblemished records, he is also the highest-ranking, longest-serving legislator in the Senate, and the most qualified to be the 10th Senate President,” he said.
Furthermore, the source said in the 109-seat Senate, the APC has 59 senators, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 36; Labour Party (LP) eight, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) two, Social Democratic Party (SDP) two, Young Progressives Party (YPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) one seat each.
To win the Senate presidency, a simple majority of votes is required when the parliament is inaugurated in June after the transmission of a letter of a proclamation by the president to the Clerk of the National Assembly.