BY AHMED AKANBI
Fireworks over leadership of the 11th Senate erupted Thursday as the 10th Senate vowed to return Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin as President and Deputy President unopposed.
The resolution was adopted at plenary in Abuja and extended to all current principal officers who win the January 16, 2027 National Assembly election.
Through a voice vote, senators resolved to return Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), Senate Whip Tahir Monguno (Borno North) and Deputy Whip Peter Nwaebonyi (Ebonyi North) unopposed.
Also covered are Minority Leader Abba Moro (Benue South), Deputy Minority Leader Oyewumi Olalere (Osun West) and Minority Whip Tony Nwoye (Anambra North).
The no-vacancy declaration followed a motion by Senate Whip Tahir Monguno, seconded by Senator Cyril Fasuyi (Ekiti North).
Monguno moved the motion after Senate President Akpabio said realities on ground have put the positions of President and Vice President beyond new contenders, forcing them to eye the Senate Presidency through negative media reports.
Akpabio said political detractors twisted his contribution during Tuesday’s debate on decriminalizing attempted suicide to pitch him against the Muslim community.
”Terrorists are human beings who believe in taking their lives and the lives of others. Many states are not interested in suicide bombing, but there are some people that, out of drugs or pecuniary reasons, undertake suicide bombings; those ones do not belong to any religion,” he said.
”The Muslim religion that I know forbids suicide; it forbids killing. If you look at the Quran, it not only prohibits suicide; it says that if you commit suicide, you will not enter paradise. So if we are saying that if you kill you have 70 virgins waiting for you in paradise, you cannot even enter paradise if you commit suicide,” he added.
Akpabio said the misinterpretation was politically motivated ahead of 2027. “I know this is a politically charged period. I don’t like people sitting on television trying to misinterpret what we discuss here. I know the position of President is gone, the position of Vice President is gone. The only one left now is the position of Senate President that everybody wants to contest.”
Rising in spontaneous support, Monguno declared: “Insha Allah, by the grace of God, majority of us are going to make it back to the Senate and this seat of the President of the Senate is hereby declared No Vacancy, including that of the Deputy President and indeed those of the entire principal officers who secured party tickets for January 2027 election.”
Fasuyi promptly seconded the motion, and Akpabio put it to voice vote, which received an affirmative response from all senators present.
The endorsement signals early consolidation by the leadership bloc to shut out fresh contenders for the top posts of the 11th Assembly.