Akpabio Drops Senate Minority Leader Ambition
New findings bordering on crisis now brewing over who become the Senate minority leader seem to be taking shape as the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, might have decided to drop his ambition as more pressures mount.
This even as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday July 22, refused to grant an interim order to restrain him from emerging the minority leader of the 8th Senate.
Daily Independent reports that Akpabio decision to drop his ambition was hinge on that fact he does want his ambition to degenerate into crisis.
The Senate minority leader seat was zoned to the South-South by the Main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It was gathered that Senators James Manager from Delta and George Sekibo from Rivers were the frontrunners for the position. But the interest of Akpabio for the seat threw the South-South caucus into crisis.
The crisis snowballed when two senators Dr. OKechukwu Ibeh and Alaye Pedro had instituted a suit challenging Akpabio. The suit has been adjourned to October 5 for further hearing on the case.
It emerged that since the PDP had zoned the House minority leader’s position to the South-South, which saw the unanimous endorsement of Leo Ogor, it was therefore impossible to allow the same state produce the Senate Minority Leader.
Findings from Akpabio’s camp stated that the decision of the former governor to drop his ambition was to allow peace to reign and allow the choice of the majority of the senators in the caucus to have the position.
“The ex-governor is having a rethink and is expected to in a few days’ time come out openly to announce that he is not running for the position.This is to calm frayed nerves because PDP is one big family,” said one source who is close to the former governor.
Akpabio is also said to be surprised at the furore that the issue has generated.
“He is a peaceful man and does not wish to cause disaffection in the caucus,” one of his associates pointed out.
It was be recalled that there were rumour that the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, was planning to install Akpabio as the Senate minority leader.
This even as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday July 22, refused to grant an interim order to restrain him from emerging the minority leader of the 8th Senate.
Daily Independent reports that Akpabio decision to drop his ambition was hinge on that fact he does want his ambition to degenerate into crisis.
The Senate minority leader seat was zoned to the South-South by the Main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It was gathered that Senators James Manager from Delta and George Sekibo from Rivers were the frontrunners for the position. But the interest of Akpabio for the seat threw the South-South caucus into crisis.
The crisis snowballed when two senators Dr. OKechukwu Ibeh and Alaye Pedro had instituted a suit challenging Akpabio. The suit has been adjourned to October 5 for further hearing on the case.
It emerged that since the PDP had zoned the House minority leader’s position to the South-South, which saw the unanimous endorsement of Leo Ogor, it was therefore impossible to allow the same state produce the Senate Minority Leader.
Findings from Akpabio’s camp stated that the decision of the former governor to drop his ambition was to allow peace to reign and allow the choice of the majority of the senators in the caucus to have the position.
“The ex-governor is having a rethink and is expected to in a few days’ time come out openly to announce that he is not running for the position.This is to calm frayed nerves because PDP is one big family,” said one source who is close to the former governor.
Akpabio is also said to be surprised at the furore that the issue has generated.
“He is a peaceful man and does not wish to cause disaffection in the caucus,” one of his associates pointed out.
It was be recalled that there were rumour that the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, was planning to install Akpabio as the Senate minority leader.
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