Tinubu’s Secretive Plea to Lawmakers: Support Akpabio and Abbas – Ndume Insider Claims

Senator Ali Ndume, who is one of the few “landlords” left in the National Assembly (NASS) due to his 20 years of federal lawmaker status, claimed President Bola Tinubu “sneaked out” recently and “begged” some members-elect of the 10th Senate to support his preferred candidates for principal positions ahead of their inauguration on Tuesday, according to a report by Channels Television. The four candidates endorsed by Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious in the 10th NASS. The new Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and deputy, Jibrin Barau, were endorsed by the APC. A member from Zaria Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, Tajudeen Abbas, was elected Speaker while a member representing Bende Federal Constituency in Abia State, Benjamin Kalu emerged the Deputy Speaker.
 
Ndume, despite supporting Godswill Akpabio’s campaign, wasn’t worried that Akpabio would lose, stating on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme that he believed Godswill Akpabio of the APC would beat Abdul’aziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State and top-ranking chieftain of the APC. Tinubu helped the APC to secure about 70 seats in the Red Chamber, the highest by any party, followed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). 
 
Ndume revealed that Tinubu’s moves with the execution committee of the APC helped in the victory of the party’s preferred candidates on Tuesday by deploying his foot soldiers to complement Akpabio’s campaign team efforts. “So many factors helped from the outside and it is usual. When I contested last time (in 2019), everybody was on the other side in the government because the President or the government or the party then endorsed Ahmad Lawan,” Ndume said. “It is almost a repetition of the same thing. The party and the President had a preferred candidate but this President (Tinubu) because he is (an) experienced politician played a lot of politics in it. The Vice President was on it. He (Tinubu) himself was calling on some people.”
 
Ndume added that Tinubu snuck out and visited some lawmakers before the inauguration of the 10th Senate and begged them to support him, which ultimately led to the South-South having someone as a Senate President, an event that hasn’t happened since 1999. Meanwhile, upon his election as Senate President, Akpabio visited Tinubu at Aso Villa for some post-victory talks and celebrations.