Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, who is the first Southerner to hold this position in 16 years, is currently facing a challenging battle to retain his seat. This opposition is emerging from both within and outside the ruling party.
Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa-Ibom State, is encountering resistance to his leadership style in the upper chamber, which many Nigerians now view as a “retirement home” for former governors. Notably, many of the lawmakers openly opposing him belong to the ruling party, APC.
Senator Ali Ndume, who previously coordinated Akpabio’s campaign, is engaged in an ongoing conflict with him. Elisha Abbo also spearheaded the anti-Akpabio movement until his removal from the House. Ndume has openly challenged Akpabio on two occasions, and their recent encounter led to Ndume walking out of the Chamber, although he later claimed he left to pray at the Mosque. However, Ndume is not widely perceived as a formidable adversary due to his history of opposing multiple Senate Presidents without a track record of success.
In 2015, he supported Bukola Saraki but was later unceremoniously removed as the Leader of the Senate after challenging the former Kwara State Governor. Abbo was also removed from the Senate following a court ruling.
Nevertheless, Akpabio’s challenges are not over. It’s worth noting that he did not secure an overwhelming victory in his Senate President election, with 63 votes to Abdulaziz Yari’s 46 votes. Insiders in the Senate have indicated that some senators see Yari as a viable alternative in the face of growing opposition against Akpabio.
The difficulty faced by Southern Senate Presidents may be related to the Senate’s composition. The South has 51 Senators, while the North has 58 Senators, and the majority of Southern Senators belong to opposition parties. Akpabio must exercise caution in managing Senators, many of whom are former Governors themselves.
The distribution of appointments by President Tinubu has not been favorable to Akpabio, as many Northern Senators have expressed dissatisfaction with what they perceive as the dominance of Yoruba appointments in the government. Akpabio has supported these appointments, which has further irked Northern Senators. However, many Senators are hesitant to go against President Tinubu due to their desire for better funding of the National Assembly, particularly with the upcoming 2024 budget presentation.
President Tinubu previously allocated N70 billion to lawmakers at the beginning of this Assembly, and for the first time, all National Assembly members will receive SUVs instead of the usual Toyota Camry. This has made Senators cautious about offending the President.
For now, Akpabio enjoys the support of the President and key figures like Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Opeyemi Bamidele, and Solomon Olamilekan who are there to protect him.