Less than 24 hours to the inauguration of the 10th Senate, two leading contenders for the position of the President of the Senate: Orji Uzor Kalu and Osita Izunaso, on Monday endorsed the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Godswill Akpabio.
The duo were in the camp of former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, who is contesting for the presidency.
Kalu and Izunaso dumped Yari after a meeting of South East Senators-elect, who appealed to appeal to them our correspondent learnt.
The development was confirmed by both the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, and Director-General of Akpabio Campaign Council, Mohammed Ali Ndume.
The Campaign DG told newsmen that 15 senators-elect from the South East met with the Governors elected on the platform of the APC, who are members of the PGF, and Akpabio, where they reportedly endorsed his candidacy.
Ndume said former governors from the North, who hitherto refused to support Akpabio, have also made a U-turn.
He listed them to include Danjuma Goje, Aliyu Wamakko and Adamu Aliero.
He said Senator Sani Musa, who indicated interest in the Deputy President of the Senate seat, has also stepped down and endorsed Jibrin Barau.
Uzodimma on his part said: “It was a meeting of the Southeast caucus of the Senate.
“All the 15 of them attended the meeting.
“We resolved to toe the line of the preferred candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the Senate to support Akpabio and Barau.
“As it has to do with the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President, the APC, with most senators-elect, has preferred and recommended Senator Akpabio and Senator Jibrin.
“We have already agreed that we will vote according to the recommendation of our great party.
“We don’t want to go into any controversy of going into unnecessary blind opposition.
“We want to work under a constructive partnership across party lines in the South East region and that is actually my position.
“It is a good development for the region and for the unity of the nation.”
Uzodimma noted that democracy is about engagements, discussions and dialogues.
He added: “People are entitled to have aspirations.
“Because we are practicing partisan democracy, it is always assumed that loyalty to the party will always prevail.
“Whether you are Labour Party, Peoples Democratic Party or APC, South East is South East and leadership is leadership.
“We think we will be more organised in the interest and unity of the country to work with the ruling party so our people will also have the opportunity to get dividends of democracy.
“Engagement is continuing.
“I am leaving now for an important meeting to engage some senators-elect with opposing views to the choices already made.
“The rule of the business is: You will disagree first before you will agree.
“So having disagreed all these while, between now and Tuesday morning, we will all agree.”
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