This is coming as a strong indication emerged that Senator Godswill Akpabio may have dropped his ambition to run for Senate President.

It has been claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is considering to zone the Senate President to South-East region for the 10th National Assembly.

Vanguard reported that the party is also planning to zone the Speakership position to North West or North Central.

It is claimed this could be the reason Senator Godswill Akpabio may have dropped his ambition to run for Senate President.

In the alternative, he is said to be pursuing a ministerial appointment in the cabinet of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

It will be recalled that Akpabio, a former Minority Leader of the Senate and immediate past minister of Niger Delta Affairs in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, resigned his portfolio, following the provision of section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act of 2022 to contest the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

But at the convention ground, Akpabio stepped down for Tinubu who later won the party’s ticket and also went ahead to win the keenly contested February 25, 2023, presidential election.

Vanguard gathered from reliable sources within the party hierarchy and the National Assembly, yesterday, that Akpabio’s decision to drop his Senate presidential ambition was informed by the decision of the party to zone the slot to the South East.

While some of the senators in the 9th National Assembly have publicly made known their intention to vie for the office of the Senate president, others are yet to do so.

Some of the contenders for the President of the Senate include former governor of Abia State and current Chief Whip, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu; Senators Jibrin Barau (APC, Kano North); Sani Musa (APC, Niger East); and Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South).

But, Kalu has the brightest chance to emerge the next Senate President in June when the principal leaders would be inaugurated, if the sources are anything to go by.

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