Two senators have declared that the Senate presidency in the next Assembly is not up for grabs. They say Godswill Akpabio will keep the seat.
Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno (Borno North) and Sen. Cyril Fasuyi (Ekiti North) made the declaration during plenary on Thursday.
Senators say there is no vacancy
Monguno spoke first. He said most current senators expect to return to the chamber. Based on that, he declared that the seat has no vacancy. He applied the same view to the office of Deputy Senate President and other principal officers.
Fasuyi then seconded the motion. He said the Senate President’s seat in the 11th Assembly is not open to contest. According to him, Akpabio already occupies it.
Akpabio then tested the mood of the chamber. Senators who supported the position said “aye” loudly. No one voiced opposition. “I think that settles it,” he said.
However, the declaration does not decide the matter. The leadership of the 11th National Assembly will still be chosen through a formal election. Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who is also running for a Senate seat, is reportedly seeking the Senate presidency.
Akpabio defends debate on suicide bill
Akpabio also addressed the public reaction to the Suicide Prevention Bill 2026. Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South) sponsors the bill. It passed second reading on Tuesday.
During the debate, lawmakers discussed whether suicide survivors should face prosecution or receive medical and psychological help. Some of their remarks drew criticism outside the chamber.
Akpabio asked Nigerians to judge the Senate by its final decision, not by individual comments. He said senators must be free to argue both sides. “We want to make the best laws,” he said, adding that members are bound to oppose and support one another.
He also urged TV and public commentators not to twist the proceedings for political ends.
He further argued that the law should treat two groups differently. These are people who are mentally unwell and those who knowingly take their own lives or the lives of others.
Akpabio rejects linking terrorism to religion
The Senate President also spoke against tying terrorism to any faith. In his words, terrorists are neither Muslims nor Christians. He described them as people who believe in taking their own lives and the lives of others.
He said Islam forbids suicide and killing. For that reason, he argued, nobody should use claims about suicide bombers and paradise to misrepresent the religion.
Akpabio then pointed to his own record. As governor, he said, he sponsored 5,800 Muslims to the Holy Land. He also sponsored more than 10,000 Christians to Rome and Jerusalem.
He added that his aide-de-camp of 19 years is a Muslim, whom he regards as a brother. More than 65 per cent of his staff are Muslims, he said. “There’s no way I will talk down on the Muslim religion,” he added.
