Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Ekiti State, has revealed that lawmakers in the camp of Senator Godswill Akpabio arrived at the National Assembly Complex at about 4am on Tuesday.
Bamidele, who was the Deputy Director of the Deputy Director General of Akpabio/Barau campaign, said they got to the venue to work against the repetition of what happened during the election of the principal officers of the 8th Senate.
Senator Bukola Saraki had refused to accept the wish of the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for Senator Ahmad Lawan to lead the 8th senate.
According to reports, Saraki sneaked into the National Assembly while other APC senators were preparing for a meeting at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja.
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Former President Muhammadu Buhari was meant to use the meeting to call the party’s lawmakers to order on National Assembly leadership positions.
However, Saraki and some opposition members went to the chamber for the business of the day.
Although Lawan later emerged Senate President, that incident has remained a watershed.
While speaking at a reception of Akpabio’s swearing-in in Abuja on Tuesday, Bamidele said he had been keeping vigil for the victory of the former governor of Akwa Ibom State as Senate President.
Bamidele 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.”
Akpabio emerged as the 10th Senate President on Tuesday, polling 63 votes against the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari’s 46 votes.
