Tinubu and the NWC meet with NASS Leadership Candidates as the President-Elect is said to support Akpabio
On Tuesday, President-elect Bola Tinubu met with certain Senate candidates alongside the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by its National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu.
According to Naija News, the meeting at Tinubu’s Asokoro, Abuja residence kicked off consultations by the former Lagos State governor on the party’s pick for President of the Senate, Deputy Senate President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and other critical positions.
According to sources at the meeting, the party was considering the South-East and South-South for the Senate President seat, while the North-West for the Deputy Senate Presidency.
The Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, the Senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senator-elect, Godswill Akpabio, the Senator representing Kano North Senatorial District, Barau Jubrin, the Deputy National Chairman for North, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and the Secretary of the dissolved APC Presidential Campaign Council, James Faleke were also present at the meeting on Tuesday.
Others include House Speaker Femi Gbajamiabila, former Nasarawa state governor Tanko Almakura, and former Senator for Benue North-East, Barnabas Gemade, Senator Adeola Solomon (Ogun West in the 10th Assembly), and Senator Tokunbo Abiru (Lagos East).
Barau and Akpabio are both running for Senate President.
According to reports, the APC National Chairman left the party’s secretariat about 1.35 p.m. and arrived at the president-elect’s Asokoro residence by 2.15 p.m.
Another source confirmed that the president-elect met individually with Barau, Akpabio, and Kyari before the arrival of Adamu.
He stated, “Asiwaju and the party know they have a short time before the inauguration hence the need to commence an early negotiation. As you must have observed, the president-elect is meeting only relevant politicians and lawmakers that he is obviously going to work with after his inauguration on May 29.
“I believe all these moves are to ensure the APC leadership does not witness a repeat of the coup that brought in Saraki-Dogara leadership. We trust in him to be different from the outgoing administration of President Muhammadu Buhari because of his proven track record.”