*** As Akpabio Promises Stability, Transparency, Accountability
By Segun Oye, LAGOS
No fewer than 68 senators-elect have endorsed senators-elect Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin as President and Deputy President of the Senate respectively ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June.
This was disclosed by senator Ali Ndume (Borno) while formally presenting the two senators-elect from Akwa Ibom and Kano sattes to the public in Lagos on Sunday.
Ndume, a ranking senator, who has stepped down for Akpabio for the position of Senate President is now the Director General of the Akpabio campaign team under the auspices of The Stability Group.
He said members of The Stability Group are mobilising support for Akpabio, and Jibrin in line with the zoning arrangement endorsed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC).
“Why Akpabio? It is not about Akpabio, it is about the stability of the country. It is the right thing to do now,”Senator Ndume said.
Addressing media executives at the gathering, Akpabio, who was in company of the deputy senate presidential candidate, senator-elect Barau Jibrin and no fewer than 20 senators-elect, thanked the President-elect, Bola Tinubu for endorsing the party’s zoning arrangement.
Prompt News Online reports that the APC NWC recently zoned the positions of the senate president and deputy to the south south and north west respectively.
Akpabio promised that the 10th Senate under his presidency will promote transparency, accountability and stability, adding that he would ensure senators put aside their differences for the overall interest of the nation.
The former Senate Minority Leader, while promising regular and proper oversight functions and developmental legislation also assured that the 10th Senate will be gender friendly.
Akpabio, a ranking senator, posited that the legislature must be independent of the executive, noting that both arms of government must respect the principle of separation of power.
On his anointed deputy, senator-elect Barau Jibrin, Akpabio spoke glowingly about him as an experienced lawmaker, saying “In him I see confidence, I see shared vision and I see trust. In the 10th senate, sky will be the limit.”
Senator-elect Barau Jibrin, while speaking said President-elect Tinubu spoke to him about the need to stabilise the country hence, his decision to step down for a christian senator-elect from the south.
He said the choice of Akpabio and himself is in line with the tradition of giving priority to ranking senators in the election of principal officers of the senate.
Prompt News Online reports that senators-elect from the NNPP, Labour Party, SDP and PDP who have joined the Stability Group were in the company of Akpabio and Jibrin.
