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No fewer than 75 senators-elect want Senator Godswill Akpabio to become the next President of the Senate according to Senator Ali Ndume.
Ahead of the June 13 election of the National Assembly presiding officers, aspirants contesting for the seat of the senate president have intensified mobilisation for the contest.
Former Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, who was recently endorsed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is one of the main contenders for the seat.
Speaking on Channels TV on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, Ndume, who is the Director-General of Akpabio-Barau Campaign (ABC) said, Akpabio may even turn out as the consensus candidate.
According to him, talks are ongoing to convince other senators, who are interested in contesting against him.
Explaining why the APC endorsed Akpabio, Ndume said, “It is about justice; it is about equity; it is about the constitution. It is about doing what is right and standing for what is just for this country.
“This country belongs to all of us. We all know what has played out in this country that led to the emergence of the president being a Muslim, the vice president being a Muslim. There is a need to balance the equation.
He further explained that section 14 of the Nigerian Constitution clarifies that the country should not be run in a way that would make any part of the country feel maginalised.
“Section 14 of the constitution is clear on this. That section says that the country should be run in such a way that no tribe, religion, section of the country will feel marginalised. So, the natural thing to do is to get somebody from the South and particularly from the South-South. And that person happens to be Akpabio”, he said.
Explaining his reasons for supporting Akpabio, Ndume said, “he is a senior ranking Senator from the south-south region, and he has the experience”.
“As I am speaking to you, I have 75 senators that have signed the candidature of Senator Akpabio as the next Senate President”.
He maintained that the campaign for Akpabio is not about the former governor of Akwa-Ibom state but about equity and justice.