10th NASS: Akpabio, Abass emerge Senate President, House Speaker
The two anointed candidates of the All Progressives Congress for Senate President and Speaker, Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 10th National Assembly, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Dr Tajudeen Abass have been elected to the positions.
Akpabio, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, and senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-East, was elected after defeating Abdulaziz Yari, former Governor of Kebbi State in the election for the Senate President. Akpabio scored 63 votes as against his opponent, with 46 votes.
The contest started voting took place the Clerk of the National Assembly called for nominations, and only Akpabio and Yari were nominated by the senators-elect of the newly inaugurated Senate. Ali Ndume, the senator-elect for Borno South, and Olamilekan Adeola, the senator-elect for Ogun West, nominated Akpabio, while Elisha Abbo, senator-elect for Adamawa North, and Jimoh Ibrahim, the senator-elect for Ondo South, nominated Yari, senator-elect for Zamfara  West.
On the other hand, Jubrin Barau, senator-elect from Kano North was elected unopposed for the position of Deputy Senate President. He was nominated by Dave Umahi, former Governor of Ebonyi State and the senator-elect for Ebonyi South, who was seconded by Sami Mustapha, the senator-elect for Kwara Central.
At the Green Chamber, Abbas, a member of the House of Representatives from Zaria Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, defeated two aspirants to be elected Speaker of the Chamber.
He defeated Idris Wase, the Deputy Speaker of the House for the 9th National Assembly, and Aminu Jaji in a voice vote, scoring 352 votes of the total 359 votes cast while Jaji and Wase polled three votes each.
Benjamin Kalu, a member representing Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State, emerged as the Deputy Speaker of the House. He was unopposed after there were no other nominations for the position.
