The 10th Assembly of the Nigerian Senate following its official inauguration has elected Senator Godswill Akpabio as the new senator president.
He replaces the outgone Senate President, Ahmad Lawan after a voting process at the upper chamber of Tuesday.
Below are few facts about the new Senate President.
i.He was born on 9 December 1962 in Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
ii. Akpabio previously served as governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015.
iii.He holds a law degree from the University of Calabar, Cross River.
iv. In 2002, he was appointed Honourable Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources by the then Governor Obong Victor Attah in Akwa Ibom State. Also between 2002 and 2006, he served as a Commissioner in three key ministries: Petroleum and Natural Resources, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, as well as Lands and Housing.
v.He first became a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria in 2015 when he contested under the flagship of the Peoples Democratic Party to win the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District (Ikot Ekpene) election.
vi. He defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in 2018.
vii. He became a minister after been nominated by former president, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in 21 August 2019.
viii. In June 2022, Akpabio resigned from his position as minister for Niger Delta Affairs to contest in the presidential primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress but stepped down on the night of the primaries for the eventual winner Bola Tinubu.
ix. A few days after the presidential primaries, he emerged as the Senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District which he later won.
v. He emerged president of the Senate on the 13th of June 2023.
