Bamidele, Umahi, Ndume announced as principal officers of 10th Senate

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has announced Senators Opeyemi Bamidele, Dave Umahi and Ali Ndume as the principal officers of the 10th Senate.

The Senate President, who announced the principal officers today (Tuesday), said the officers emerged by consensus.

Akpabio announced Bamidele, from Ekiti state, as Senate Leader; Umahi, from Ebonyi state, as Deputy Senate Leader; Ndume, from Borno state, as Chief Whip; and Senator Lola Ashiru, from Kwara state, as Deputy Chief Whip respectively.

Recall that the four candidates nominated by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for Senate and House of Representatives leadership won their elections in June.

The four anointed candidates are Senate President Akpabio; Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau; House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas; and Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu.

While Barau and Kalu emerged unopposed, Akpabio prevailed after a tough battle and Abass recorded a landslide victory over his two opponents.

In the Senate where all the 109 senators took part, Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State and one-time Senate Minority leader, polled 63 votes to defeat former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdulaziz Yari (APC, Zamfara West) who polled 46 votes.

In the House of Representatives, it was smooth sailing for Abass as 353 of the 359 lawmakers inaugurated gave him their votes. His challengers, Idris Wase and Aminu Jaji polled three votes each.