Oshiomole, Akpabio, Lawan, Kalu top contenders for 10th Senate President race

VOICE AIR MEDIA News Update

Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June this year, the race for the Senate President has begun.

ThisDay reports that Senators Adams Oshiomole, Orji Uzor Kalu, Godswill Akpabio, Ahmad Lawan, Dave Umahi and others have begun subtle campaigns for their emergence as the leader of the red chamber.

The choice of Senate President will largely depend on the zoning formula of the ruling party, APC. It is being speculated that the party may zone the Senate President to the South East as part of moves to pacify the Igbos having missed out in the presidential contest in all the parties at the time the clamor for a President from Igbo extraction was high.

Senator Uzor Kalu who is ranking Senator is tipped to be highly favored for the position if the party decides to pacify the South East. It is also being speculated that the party may zone the seat to the North East as a way of appreciating the region for its immense contribution towards the emergence of Tinubu as President-elect.

It is also being speculated that if the party decides to look the way of the South-South region, Senator Adams Oshiomole and Godswill Akpabio are strong contenders for the exalted seat.

It is also believed that the party might go for a Christian as Senate President since the Chairman of the Party, the President-elect, and the Vice-President-elect are Muslims.

THE INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, over the weekend disclosed at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja that the Senators-elect would receive their certificates of return on Tuesday, while their House of Representatives counterparts would get theirs on Wednesday.

According to the INEC chair, the All Progressives Congress won 57 senatorial seats, the Peoples Democratic Party won 29, the Labour Party got six, while the New Nigeria Peoples Party and Social Democratic Party got two each.

On the other hand, the All Progressives Grand Alliance and Young Progressive Party got one seat each.

In the House of Representatives, the APC garnered 162 from the 360 seats, PDP got 102, LP, 34 seats, NNPP 18, APGA four, SDP and ADC got two each, while YPP won one seat.