Senate Election: Controversy trails how Senators voted as another list surfaces

The election of Senator Godswill Akpabio as Nigeria’s Senate President has continued to generate controversies, as a list making the rounds on social media has suggested that many of the senators played a smart one on those they earlier promised their votes.

The list has however brought up controversies, with another list surfacing that shows how Senators actually voted.

The new list is coming on the heels of questions over where one of the earlier contenders for the office of Senate President, Senator Osita Izanuzor voted, as the earlier list left a question mark in front of his name.

It is also coming after another aspirant for the office of Deputy Senate President before stepping down, Senator Sani Musa from Niger State, denied voting for Yari, as against what the first list showed.

It will be recalled that a former Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari, who contested against Akpabio, had alleged betrayal on the part of Senators who had given him their words hours before the election at the Senate temporary chambers.

Yari had said that a night before the election, he had 70 Senators behind him and that if some were to change their mind at the last minute, he was confident that he would still win the election. 

However, Yari was olny able to garner 46 votes to Akpabio’s 63, bringing up allegations of betrayal and cross carpeting at the last minute.

The new list, which is capable of causing further controversies, showed that all the senators from Osun State voted for Yari, while two senators from Bayelsa, including Seriake Dickson, also went for Yari against their fellow South Southerner. The same thing went for senators from Delta State, who all cast their votes for Yari, against Akpabio from the same Niger Delta region.

It is also instructive to note that from the second list, majority of senators from the northern part of the country voted for Yari, making it his aspiration more of a northern project.