Umahi, Ndume drop Senate Presidency bid ,step down for Akpabio
The senator-elect , representing Ebonyi South senatorial district, David Umahi, has dropped his Senate presidency ambition as he endorsed Godswill Akpabio, a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and governor of Akwa Ibom state.
Umahi, who is the outgoing governor of Ebonyi State and first-time senator, also said that he was not considering the position of deputy Senate president either.
At the meeting held at the Ebonyi State Governors Lodge in Abuja, the host, Dave Umahi stepped down for Senator Godswill Akpabio in the race for the office of Senate President.
He made the disclosure at the end of the closed-door meeting.
Two other contenders for the ticket were also at the enlarged meeting: Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume and his counterpart, representing Kano North, Barau Jibrin also announced that Senator Akpabio who won last February National Assembly election to represent Akwa- Ibom North West is their consensus candidate.
Governor Umahi said he was stepping down from the race in deference to President-Aelect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who called him and announced the former Akwa- Ibom governor as his anointed choice.
He said:” By yesterday, (Thursday) I met the president elect on his invitation. He said he is already committed and said,” please, hold on” . And I have accepted and I stepped down for Akpabio.”
Asked if Akpabio is the consensus candidate of the APC Senators, the Ebonyi state Governor said, ‘he is my consensus candidate. ”
Governor Umahi also confirmed what is in the public domain that the deal has thrown up another leading contender Senator Barau Jibrin for the position of Deputy Senate President.
Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume who confirmed that he would no longer be contesting also said he would also be leading Akpabio’s campaign for Senate Presidency on the instruction of the President elect.
He said:” I am not only stepping down, I will be leading the campaign for Akpabio, because he is the President’s preferred candidate and we have to surrender to the interest of the party. That’s above any other interest. Asiwaju has said I should lead this campaign. So, you can see how popular Akpabio is. !
“We are running a combined ticket— Akpabio- Barau ticket.”
