Senator Godswill Akpabio emerged victorious in the race for the presidency of the 10th Senate, defeating Senator Abdul'aziz Yari. The former governor of Akwa Ibom secured 63 votes, surpassing Yari's 46 votes. Following the election, Senator Akpabio took the oath as the President of the Senate for the 10th National Assembly, succeeding Senator Ahmad Lawan, another member of the 10th Senate.
The voting process took place at the Red Chamber in Abuja, Nigeria, starting at 8:45 am on Tuesday. Voting proceeded in alphabetical order by state and concluded at 9:15 am. Senator Akpabio was sworn in at 9:44 am.
Nomination submissions were made for both Senator Yari and Senator Akpabio, after which the Clerk of the Senate closed the nominations in the absence of further submissions.
The contest featured Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, and Akpabio, a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and ex-governor of Akwa Ibom State. Both Akpabio and Yari hold prominent positions within the All Progressives Congress (APC). Yari had previously expressed dissatisfaction with the party's endorsement of Akpabio and requested a review, but the APC stood firm. The party also nominated Barau Jibrin from the North-West for the position of Deputy Senate President.
Despite efforts by some APC Senators aligned with Yari to challenge the party's decision and demand a reassessment of the situation, Akpabio prevailed. The APC had secured the highest number of seats in the Red Chamber, approximately 70, followed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP), and the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP).
Although several APC lawmakers had expressed interest in becoming the next Senate President, some aspirants withdrew their candidacies in support of either Akpabio or Yari.
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