Fireworks among contenders for leadership positions in the 11th Senate in and outside the current 10th Senate, ignited plenary on Thursday as serving senators vowed to return Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin as President and Deputy President of the Senate unopposed.
They also through voice vote affirmation, resolved to return any of the current principal officials who wins the January 16, 2027 National Assembly election back into their various seats like Senate Leader currently occupied by Senator Opeyemi Banidele (Ekiti Central) , Senate Whip, currently occupied by Senator Tahir Monguno ( Borno North) and Deputy Whip currently occupied by Peter Nwaebonyi ( Ebonyi North ) .
Others resolved to be returned unopposed if emerged victorious in the January 16, 2027 National Assembly election are the Minority leader, Senator Abba Moro (Benue South), Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Oyewumi Olalere (Osun West ) and Minority Whip, Senator Tony Nwoye ( Anambra North).
No vacancy stance of Senators in the 10th Senate on leadership positions in the 11th Senate, was sequel to motion moved to that effect by the whip of the Senate, Senator Tahir Monguno and seconded by Senator Cyril Fasuyi (Ekiti North ) .
Monguno moved the motion on the strength of submission made by the President of the Senate , Godswill Akpabio that based on realities on ground , the positions of President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are beyond the reach of any new contender, making them to be eyeing the Senate Presidency position through negative media reports against him.
He specifically said that because of 2027, political detractors twisted what he said in the Senate during plenary on Tuesday this week to pitch him against the muslim community in Nigeria during debate on motion to decriminalize suicide attempt.
“Terrorists are human beings who believe in taking their lives and the lives of others. Many states of this federation are not interested in suicide bombing, but there are some people that, out of drugs or out of pecuniary reasons, undertake suicide bombings; those ones do not belong to any religion.
“The muslim religion that I know forbids suicide; it forbids killing. The muslim religion that I know does not even allow somebody to take his own life and if you look at the Quran, the Quran not only prohibits suicide; it also says that if you commit suicide, you will not enter into paradise.
“So, if we are saying that if you kill that you have 14 or seven or 70 virgins waiting for you in paradise, you cannot even enter paradise if you commit suicide.
“So, people who are misinterpreting what we discuss here should stop doing that . know this is a politically charged period. I don’t like the idea of people sitting down on television and trying to misinterpret what we discuss here in the senate.
“I know the position of president is gone. The position of vice president is gone. The only one that is left now is the position of senate president that everybody wants to contest and have started mobilising”, he said.
In a spontaneous support, the Whip of the Senate, Tahir Monguno, quickly rose to assure Akpabio that after emerging victorious in the January 16, 2027 National Assembly election, would be returned unopposed as President of the 11th Senate.
“Insha Allah, by the grace of God, majority of us are going to make it back to the senate and this seat of the President of the Senate is hereby declared No Vacancy including that of the Deputy President of the Senate and infact, those of the entire principal officers who secured party tickets for the January 2027 election,” he said.
Instantaneously , Senator Cyril Fasuyi, (Ekiti north), seconded the notion , upon which Akpabio put it for voice vote and got responded to affirmatively by all senators in attendance .
However when asked to react to the Senate spontaneous action after the plenary, Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South), said he was not in the chamber when the resolution was taken.
“I was not in the chamber when the said resolution was taken,” he said.
