How Tinubu sneaked out, begged senators to elect Akpabio as Senate President ― Ali Ndume

The lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, Senator Ali Ndume has disclosed how President Bola Tinubu had to make calls, visit and beg some people for Senator Godswill Akpabio to emerge as the Senate President.

Ndume said this while speaking on the role Tinubu played in ensuring the preferred candidates of the APC emerged victorious during the election of principal officers of the 10th National Assembly which took place in Abuja on Tuesday.

Recall that Godswill Akpabio was on Tuesday elected Senate president after polling 63 votes to defeat Abdulazeez Yari, who garnered 46 votes.

The lawmaker representing Zaria constituency in Kaduna, Tajudeen Abbas, was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, while Benjamin Kalu from Abia state, was elected deputy.

Ndume while reacting to Akpabio’s victor said Tinubu is an “experienced” politician, adding that he convinced many lawmakers to support his preferred candidates.

“When I contested last time (2019), everybody was on the other side because the party and president endorsed Ahmad Lawan,” he said.

“It is almost a repetition of the same thing, the party and the president had a preferred candidate but this president (Tinubu) is an experienced politician who played a lot of politics.

“He deployed his foot soldiers to compliment our (campaign team of Akpabio) efforts and that made a difference. The vice president assisted us.

“He called some people. He even went to some people. It is politics. He sneaked out to visit some people and begged them to support. He has his reasons and they were convincing.”