I was betrayed - Yari reacts to losing senate president election to Akpabio

Senator representing Zamfara West senatorial district, Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, has rued his loss to the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, in the 10th senate presidency election.

Akpabio emerged as the winner of the hotly-contested election on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, having polled a total of 63 votes to ward off the challenge from his fellow party man, Yari, who got 46 votes.

Yari, who is also a former governor of Zamfara State, entered the contest in defiance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) zoning and endorsement arrangement.

Though Akpabio was the ruling party and President Bola Tinubu’s preferred choice, the former Zamfara governor had other ideas to upset the apple cart and remained a threat until the end of the contest.

Yari reacts to the loss to Akpabio

Speaking on his defeat to Akpabio, Yari believed he had the number to win the election until some of his colleagues who had pledged their votes switched allegiance at the last minute.

The Senator, who spoke in an interview on Thursday, June 15, 2023, said his permutations as of 3 am on Tuesday showed that he would get at least 61 out of the 109 votes available, which would have been enough to see him coast home to victory.

Though he felt betrayed by the turnout of events, Yary believed only God knew what transpired.

Yari said, "Yes, I can say there was a betrayal. That's the truth because as we are taking stock as at 3am, Monday-Tuesday election, we took stock of over 76. But as usual, human being, we though we are going to get a pull out of about 15 which we will have a comfortable 61 to win the election.

"But it's become the reverse which is only God knows what happened. So that one I feel betrayed but life continues and it's a cycle."