The emergence of the former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godwill Akpabio as the 10th Senate president was achieved through a vigil by the senators in his camp .
The Deputy Director General of Akpabio/Barau campaign, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, revealed this on Tuesday.
He said that senators in the camp of Senate President, arrived at the National Assembly Complex at about 4: am to avert what transpired during the election of the principal officers of the 8th Senate in 2015.
A former governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, was elected the president of the 8th Senate on June 9, 2015.
Saraki, who was a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the time, defeated the ruling party’s preferred candidate, Ahmad Lawan, to emerge as the Senate president.
He was elected unanimously by 57 senators present at the session.
The remaining 51 senators were at the International Conference Centre in Abuja waiting for a meeting called by the leadership of the APC and former President Muhammadu Buhari.
However, Bamidele, while speaking at the reception of Akpabio’s swearing-in in Abuja on Tuesday, said he has been keeping vigil in the last 48 hours to ensure the victory of the former governor of Akwa Ibom State as Senate President.
The senator said: “I have not been able to sleep for the last 48 hours in order to ensure that Senator Godswill Akpabio emerged as Senate President.
“We entered the National Assembly Complex at about 4 a.m. in order to avert what happened in 2015. The victory wouldn’t have been possible if not the efforts of the immediate past Senate President.”
He, however, thanked the traditional rulers from Ekiti Central Senatorial District for their presence at the reception.
Also speaking at the event, the immediate past Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, described Senator Bamidele as the pillar of the 9th Senate, applauding him for his contributions to nation-building in the 10th National Assembly.
He said: “From day one he (Bamidele) has been a pillar of my Senate Presidency. We had some cases that I asked him to handle and he performed excellently.
“We have become a family as continue another four years in the Senate and beyond.”
Akpabio emerged as the 10th Senate President on Tuesday, polling 63 votes against the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari’s 46 votes.
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