There were strong indications at the weekend that former Akwa Ibom State governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, may withdraw from the race for Senate president and opt for a ministerial appointment. This is just as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is said to have pencilled down the South East geopolitical zone for the position of Senate president and North West for Speaker of the House of Representatives. According to a source close to the APC’s top hierarchy, the party may zone the Deputy Senate President to the North Central while the Deputy Speaker will be zoned to the South South. So far, the Senate’s Chief Whip, Senator Orji Kalu and Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State have declared their intention to vie for the position from the South East. Also, Senator Osita Izunaso, who visited President Muhammadu Buhari last week, is said to be interested in the exalted post. Although there are other contenders from the North West, North Central and North East, our source said the party hierarchy is favourably disposed to give the ticket to the South East for “inclusion and national unity”.
“The camp of Senator Akpabio is considering withdrawing from the contest for Senate President. This I can confirm because I’ve been privy to some of their meetings. The contention is that the South South is rather being considered for Deputy Speaker of the House, so in order not to waste time engaging in a fruitless campaign, Akpabio may step down. “And we are expecting that any moment after next Saturday’s supplementary elections, the party will be unveiling its zoning formula and from discussions among key stakeholders that we have witnessed, the South East will get Senate President.” Continuing, the source said: “Alternatively, Akpabio may lobby for a grade A ministerial appointment, possibly, the Minister of Petroleum and withdraw from the senate entirely. Mind you, Akpabio is also close to the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and will not like to rock the boat,” the source stated. It will be recalled that Senator Akpabio was the first aspirant to step down for Tinubu at the party’s presidential primaries last year in Abuja.
Giving insight into the zoning arrangement, the source said: “It is becoming clearer by the day that the APC would adopt the 1999-2007 zoning formula with the president from the South West, vice president North East and Senate President South East, Speaker of the House, North West and Deputy Senate President North Central and Deputy Speaker, South South.”