Godswill Akpabio: 5 APC Senators declare war against Tinubu

The micro-zoning of the leadership of the 10th national assembly has continued to unsettle the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as 5 senators have threatened to revolt against the decision of the party as well as that of Bola Tinubu, the president-elect.

The senior senators and aspirants for the next senate president made the threat at a meeting with the APC leadership and members of its national working committee in Abuja on Thursday, May 11, The Punch reported.

Among other things, the senators warned that if the party did not revert its decision and zone the position to geopolitical regions, it would lead to open rebellion because they would openly disobey the APC decision.

On Tuesday, the APC, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Felix Morka, zoned the 10th senate presidency to the south-south and declared that its preferred candidate was Godswill Akpabio, the immediate past minister of the Niger Delta Affairs.

Morka explained that the decision of the party was in consultation with Bola Tinubu, the president-elect and other stakeholders.

Below is the list of the 5 senators who have made the threat:

Abdulaziz Yari

Yari is a former governor of Zamfara state and has been advocating that the position of the next senate president should be zoned to the northwest. Though Yari is a first-time senator but had argued that the region gave the APC the highest number of votes in the 2023 presidential election.

Osita Izunaso

He is a first-time senator-elect from Imo state, one of the influential states in the southeast.

Some political pundits have posited that the region should produce the next senate president, while others argued that they don't deserve it because they did not get votes for the APC during the presidential election.

Sani Musa

Musa is a second-term senator from Niger State, one of the prominent states in the north-central, who are also demanding that the next senate presidency should be zoned to their region.

The senator is popular for sponsoring the controversial social media bill that was alleged to censor media content.

Umar Sadiq

Another northcentral senator from Kwara state currently representing the Kwara north senatorial district in the outgoing 9th national assembly. He has also been re-elected and will be inaugurated as a member of the 10th Senate.

Orji Uzor

Kalu The Abia north senator is one of the prominent and experienced figures in the Red Chamber, who had earlier declared interest in the position.

Kalu is an influential Southeast senator that currently occupies the position of the Senate chief whip. He recently lost his wife, Ifeoma, in the United States.