The All Progressives Congress (APC) has picked Senator Godswill Akpabio, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and Abass Tajudeen as preferred candidates for President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively
Others chosen are Barau Jibrin as Deputy Senate president and Ben Kalu as Deputy Speaker.
The decision of the party comes amid reports of uncertainty engulfing the process of electing the new leadership of the 10th National Assembly.
.At the lower house, there are reports of dissatisfaction by members against a seeming open voting system reportedly introduced by the Speakerr,Femi Gbajabiamila in favour of his preferred candidates.
According to the reports, some lawmakers who are uncomfortable with the arrangement describing it as vengeful have vowed to register their grievances during Tuesday’s plenary where they would ask Gbajabiamila to step aside.
Weeks after the National Assembly elections were concluded by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Returning and new members across party lines have been meeting to choose principal officers of the New National Assembly that is expected to be inuagurated on 5th June , few days after the swearing in of the new president.
At the Upper Chamber, those who declared their interest for the position of President of the Senate included, Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia, Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Abdulaziz Yari, former governor of Zamfara State, Adams Oshiomole, Former governor of Edo state,Osita Izunaso of Imo State and Ali Ndume of Borno state.
For the race for Speaker, about 10 aspirants including Alhassan Doguwa of Kano, Ben Kalu ,Abdulraheem Olawuyi of Kwara threw their hat in the ring , but given that the party is supreme, the decision of the party remains sacrosanct which is why Governor Umahi and a few others decided to jettison their aspirations in support of the party’s position on the National Assembly principal offices.
