Tuesday saw the election of Senator Godswill Akpabio, who represents the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District, as Nigeria’s Senate President for the 10th National Assembly.
Sen. Abudlazeez Yari of the Zamfara West Senatorial District, who received 46 votes, was defeated by him with 63 votes.
Below are 10 important things to know about Akpabio:
1. Akpabio hails from Ikot Ntuen in Essien Udim Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.
2. He holds a degree in Law from the University of Calabar, Cross River State.
3. Akapbio served as the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2022.
4. He was the governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015.
5. He worked with EMIS Telecoms Limited, a wireless telecommunications company in Lagos, Nigeria and became the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company.
6. He had earlier served as the National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Telecommunication Companies in Nigeria, (ATCOM), while a director of EMIS.
7. In 2002, he was appointed Honourable Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources by the then Governor Obong Victor Attah in Akwa Ibom State.
8. Between 2002 and 2006, he served as a Commissioner in three key ministries: Petroleum and Natural Resources, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, as well as Lands and Housing.
9. When he was in the Peoples Democratic Party, Akpabio was nominated for the position of the Senate Minority Leader by the South-South caucus of the PDP, ratified by the caucus of the PDP in the Senate and announced by the Senate President as Senate Minority Leader on 28 July 2015.
10. In June 2022, Akpabio resigned from his position as minister for Niger Delta Affairs to contest in the presidential primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but stepped down on the night of the primaries for the eventual winner, now President Bola Tinubu.