Senator Akpabio names Bamidele, Umahi as senate leader, deputy, APC kicks

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday announced the principal officers of the majority party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) – for the 10th upper legislative chamber.

Senator Akpabio at the Tuesday plenary announced Opeyemi Bamidele, senator representing Ekiti central, as majority leader, and David Umahi, senator representing Ebonyi south, as the deputy majority leader.

Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south, was named as chief whip of the senate, and Lola Ashiru, senator representing Kwara south, as deputy chief whip.

The 10th national assembly was inaugurated on June 13 after presiding officers of both chambers were elected.

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Senator Akpabio said the principal officers from the majority were chosen by a “consensus”.

“By consensus, the senate leader is senator Opeyemi Bamidele, he will be the majority leader of the senate. Senator Ali Ndume will be the chief whip of the 10th senate. Senator David Umahi will act as deputy leader and senator Lola Ashiru will be the deputy chief whip,” he said.

The senate president announced Simon Mwadkwon, senator representing Plateau north, as minority leader.

“The minority caucus of the senate is made up of about seven political parties and have come up with their leadership so I will proceed to announce,” Akpabio said.

“Senator Simon Mwadkwon, minority leader; Oyewumi Olalere, deputy minority leader; senator Darlington Nwokocha, minority whip; and senator Rufai Anga, deputy minority whip.”

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has disowned the new leadership of the National Assembly announced by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

Adamu, who labelled the report as a ‘rumour’ at a crucial meeting of the National Working Committee and APC governors at the party secretariat, said the party has not officially stated the presiding officers.

“I am just hearing as a rumour now from the online media that there have been some announcements in the Senate and House of Representatives. The national headquarters of the party of the NWC has not given any such information or communicated about the choice of offices. Until we formally resolve and communicate with them in writing which is the norm and practice, it is not our intention to break away from traditions. So whatever announcement is done either the President of the Senate, Deputy Senate President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker, is not from this secretariat.

“We are going to formally inform you that we are going to have a caucus. For quite a time, there has been no caucus in place. The caucus has been reconstituted according to the constitution of APC. And we will be discussing that with you as governors, you know your states more than we know it. Even if we come from the same state, the leadership is in you as governors,” Adamu said.