The Deputy Director General of Akpabio/Barau campaign, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has disclosed that Senators in the camp of the new Senate President, Godswill Akpabio arrived at the National Assembly Complex by 4am on the day of inauguration to avert what happened in 2015.
In 2015, Senators loyal to former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki kept vigil in the National Assembly Complex to install Saraki as Senate President while other Senators were at the International Conference Center in Abuja to meet with the then President, Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking at the reception to celebrate his swearing-in in Abuja as a Senator representing Ekiti Central, Bamidele said that he has not been able to sleep in the last 48 hours in order to ensure the victory of Akpabio as Senate President.
According to him, “I have not been able to sleep in the last 48 hours in order to ensure that Senator Godswill Akpabio emerges as President of the Senate.
“Senators loyal to the new Senate President, Godswill Akpabio entered the National Assembly Complex around 4am on Tuesday being the inauguration day of the 10th Senate in order to avert what happened in 2015 during the election of presiding officers. Today’s victory would not have been possible if not for the efforts of the immediate past Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan”, Bamidele explained.
He, therefore, thanked the royal fathers that came from the Ekiti Central Senatorial districts for their presence at the reception.
Meanwhile, immediate past Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has described Senator Bamidele as the pillar of the ninth Senate, applauding him for his contributions to nation building in the ninth Senate.
According to him, “from day one, Bamidele has been a pillar of my Senate Presidency. We had some few cases that I asked him to handle and he performed excellently well. We have become a family as we continue another four years together in the Senate.”
