The Akwa Ibom Northwest Senator, Godswill Akpabio, has emerged as the 10th Senate President.
Akpabio was elected as the new Senate President following the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.
He defeated Senator Abdulaziz Yari to emerge as the Senate President.
Here are 11 things to know about the newly elected Senate President.
1. Akapbio is widely believed to be the preferred candidate of President Bola Tinubu.
2. The new Senate President was once a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and former Akwa Ibom State governor.
3. Akpabio is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who served as Minister for Niger Delta Affairs from 2019 to 2022.
4. He resigned on 11 May 2022 on the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari to contest in the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress.
5. Akpabio had a brief stint as a teacher and as an associate partner with Paul Usoro and Co., a law firm in Nigeria.
6. In 2002, he was appointed Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources by the then Governor Obong Victor Attah in Akwa Ibom State.
7. In 2015, he contested and won the Senate seat of the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District.
8. Akpabio was nominated for the position of Senate Minority Leader by the South-South caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
9. In August 2018, he resigned as the Senate Minority Leader after he had announced his defection to the All Progressives Congress.
10. He was under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on accusations that he diverted over 100 billion Naira from Akwa Ibom State during his time as governor (2007-2015).
11. In May 2020, Akpabio was summoned by members of the House of Representatives over the misappropriation of 40 billion Naira.
