The Kano state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has explained why a former minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio will be the next president of the senate.
Ganduje stated this at a meeting with his Cross River counterpart, Ben Ayade, and the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari in Calabar.
Gambari and Ganduje were in Cross River for the installation of Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero as new Chancellor, University of Calabar.
According to Ganduje, the decision to nominate Akpabio was already a done deal because the zoning arrangement adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership was based on equity, fairness and justice.
The governor did not explain if the decision was of the APC leadership.
He however said that Akapbio has the capacity and capability to unite Nigerians at the National Assembly as the number three citizen from the South-South region.
“The senate president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will come from the south-south and it is no other person than the former governor of Akwa Ibom,” he said.
“The uncommon governor, the uncommon minister who is going to be the uncommon president of the senate. So we have resolved that.
“I am giving you assurance, we are waiting for the D-Day that he will be the senate president of Nigeria.”
In a remark, Ben Ayade expressed gratitude for the choice of Akpabio.
“I want to thank you so much for zoning the senate president to the south-south and to our brother from a neighbouring state who is also part of Cross River state,” the governor said.
“We want to thank you for this great opportunity because our dream of a Bakassi seaport is becoming very real.”
Recalls that Akpabio and Orji Kalu, a former governor of Abia state, are among the frontrunners from the south for the senate president seat.
