Dave Umahi steps down for Godswill Akpabio in senate presidency race… abandons kinsman Orji Uzor Kalu

The Ebonyi State Governor and Senator-elect, Dave Umahi has jettisoned moves by stakeholders in Southeast to produce the next president of the Senate.

Umahi who was elected on February 25 to represent the Ebonyi South senatorial district at the upper chamber of the 10th National Assembly, pitched his tent with the South-South geopolitical zone.

The governor who was also in the Senate presidency race, told journalists yesterday that he has stepped down for the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

According to him, the decision to step down for Akpabio followed his meeting with the president-elect, Bola Tinubu who advised him to hold onto his ambition.

He said, “Yesterday, I saw the president-elect on his invitation and he told me that he is already committed that I should hold on. So I have stepped down for my brother Akpabio. He is my consensus candidate”.

This is coming amid agitation in the Southeastern part of the country that the position of senate president should be zoned to the region.

Prior to the reported endorsement of Akpabio by the All Progressives Congress, APC Governors, the Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu from the Southeast was one of the leading aspirants laying claims to his turn to be the Senate president of the federal republic of Nigeria.

Just yesterday one of the power brokers in APC and Governor of Kano State Umar Ganduje openly asserts that Godswill Akpabio is the chosen and confirmed next Senate president of the federal republic of Nigeria.