Nigeria: APC Chairman Speaks On 11th NASS Leadership, Says Lawmakers Will Determine Akpabio's Fate

What the report says

All Progressives Congress National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda says the party has not settled on whether Godswill Akpabio will remain Senate president in the next National Assembly. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, he said the final choice for the Senate presidency would be made by senators elected to the 11th Senate, while the party’s role would mainly be to help choose the majority leader.

The remarks come ahead of the 2027 general elections, after which the next National Assembly is due to be inaugurated. Akpabio, who has led the upper chamber since June 2023, is said to be interested in keeping the post, but other names have also been discussed publicly, including Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and Senator Adams Oshiomhole. APC already holds a majority in the 109-member Senate and is widely expected to remain influential in the chamber after the polls.

Yilwatda also used the interview to defend the APC’s decision to keep a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for 2027, with President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima. He said the party had consulted Christian leaders and argued that Christians have not been sidelined under the current administration. His comments reflect an ongoing political and religious debate in Nigeria over representation and power-sharing at the top of government.