TheNewsGuru

Tag: Senate Minority Leader

  • INEC disqualifies Akpabio, says senatorial primary election not valid

    Former Senate Minority leader, Godswill Akpabio has been rejected by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District candidate in next year’s general elections.

    INEC has faulted the primary election that produced the former Akwa Ibom governor.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that  Akpabio stepped down for the National Leader of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the party’s presidential primaries held at Eagle square on Tuesday.

    Meanwhile Akpabio was declared winner of the APC senatorial primary for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District on Thursday two days after the presidential primary.

    The Akwa Ibom State APC Chairman, Stephen Ntukekpo, had said he was directed by the ruling party’s national body to conduct a re-run over alleged infractions.

    Then results from the fresh primary said Akapbio emerged winner with 478 votes, while DIG Ekpo Udom (rtd), who won the first primary, secured just three votes.

    But the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Mike Igini, said  that INEC would only recognize the winner of the primaries monitored by the commission.

    He said that INEC did not monitor the re-run APC senatorial primaries, that saw Akpabio emerged winner.

    “The primaries were concluded on the 27 of May, so I don’t know what you are talking about. The one that was conducted was monitored by INEC and the report has been submitted to Abuja.

    “INEC is not aware of any senatorial primaries conducted on Thursday (June 9) that was monitored by INEC, none,” he stated.

    The REC also affirmed that the APC has no governorship candidate in the state.

  • 2023: Senate Minority Leader, Abaribe joins Abia guber race

    2023: Senate Minority Leader, Abaribe joins Abia guber race

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has reportedly joined the Abia State guber race for the 2023 general election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    A source privy to this development said the Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District has disclosed his intentions to the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, during a meeting with the governor at the Abia Government House Lodge Friday night.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG, recalls that Abaribe once personally said he will not go for the governorship seat anymore.

    According to the Abia South Senator, he can’t afford to do that after having served in a federal capacity for several tenures.

    When contacted, Senator Abaribe responded in the affirmative after reportedly making his intention known to Ikpeazu.

    He said: “Yes. It’s true. Met the Governor last night to tell him.”

    In the meantime, he is yet to respond to the follow up question, “why the sudden change of mind?”

    Speculations of Abaribe succeeding Ikpeazu has been rife in the state and with the latest development, it seems he is set to test the waters.

    The Senate Minority leader had recently embarked on consultation visit to some Obingwa major political stakeholders.

     

  • Abaribe emerges new Senate Minority leader

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, representing Abia South Senatorial District, has been named the Minority Leader of the Ninth Senate.

    Emmanuel Bwacha from Taraba South also retained his position as Deputy Minority Leader, while the Senator, representing the Federal Capital Territory, Phillip Aduda, retained his position as the Minority Whip.

    Abaribe was born on March 1, 1955. He earned his WASSCE from Government College Umuahia in 1974. He went on to the University of Benin, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Economics in 1979 and a master’s degree in Economics in 1982. He lectured at the Edo State University from 1982 until 1985.

    Abaribe became Abia State’s Deputy Governor after Orji Uzor Kalu’s 1999 election to the Governorship. The state’s House of Assembly impeached the deputy governor twice in 2000 and a third time in 2003; as he was facing his third impeachment, he resigned on March 7, 2003, sending his resignation via DHL so as to have written record of it.

    The House of Assembly formally voted him out of office several days later, in a move Abaribe called “medicine after death.” He was succeeded as deputy governor by Eric Acho Nwakanma. Abaribe ran for the governorship on the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) platform in 2003, but lost to Kalu.