Godswill Akpabio, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate who has received the most support for the senate presidency, met in private with Orji Kalu and Osita Izunaso on Monday.
The meeting will take place a few hours before Tuesday’s election for the 10th National Assembly’s presiding officers.
Although the meeting’s specifics were still hazy at the time this report was filed, insiders in Mr. Akpabio’s camp claimed the two candidates had agreed to drop out of the race and guaranteed their support for the former governor of Akwa Ibom.
Messrs. Kalu and Izunaso come from the South-east states of Abia and Imo, respectively. Like Mr. Akpabio, they are APC members.
Osita Izunaso, a senator
They had claimed that President Bola Tinubu and the party’s leadership had treated them unfairly by endorsing Mr. Akpabio and Senator Barau Jibrin of Kano North for senate president and deputy senate president, respectively, without consulting them or other candidates.
Despite intervention from other APC members, the two candidates and Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, have resisted leaving the race.
Regarding their discussion on the senate leadership election with Mr. Akpabio, Messrs. Kalu and Izunaso have yet to release a comment.
In Aso Rock, Tinubu welcomes Lawan and Akpabio
At the Presidential House today, Mr. Tinubu also had a private discussion with Mr. Akpabio and the departing Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
According to rumours, Mr. Lawan wanted the office to be designated to the North and is therefore opposed to Mr. Akpabio becoming the new senate president.
