Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has congratulated senators who emerged victorious across party lines in the recently concluded party primaries ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also indicated that there may yet be succour for lawmakers who lost their bids to return to the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
According to him, victories and disappointments are part of the democratic process, but the Senate leader and the leadership of the Senate are working very hard to ensure there are only a few disappointments at the end of the process.
Naijaonpoint reports that Akpabio made the submission on Tuesday while speaking on the floor of the Senate.
In his opening remarks as the Senators resume plenary on Tuesday from three weeks recess taken for the primaries, the Senate President said, “I would say I congratulate the political parties, one or two of which emanated from these chambers. They recently concluded their primaries and all the internal democratic processes. I felicitate particularly with those who have secured their mandates. Thank you. to represent their parties in the next election. I know that there will always be victories and disappointments, yet above every individual triumph stands a greater triumph, the triumph of democracy itself.
“And in this Senate, we are promised that we will have very few disappointments. And I do know that the Senate leader and the leadership of the Senate is working very hard towards that. So in advance, I will say congratulations to all of us across party lines.”
Akpabio also led Senators into a closed-door session on Tuesday, which lasted for about two hours.
Not less than 40 serving Senators lost at the recently conducted party primaries last month ahead of the 2027 general election while 60 others secured their party’s return tickets.
Senate President Godwill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North West ) and Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), got automatic tickets, while the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin (Kano North), the three Senators from Borno and Lagos States, Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), among others, got return tickets through a consensus arrangement.
Some of the forty serving senators who lost out in their bids for return tickets are the Deputy Leader of the Senate, Lola Ashiru (Kwara South), Jibrin Isah (Kogi East), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East), Abbas Aminu Iya (Adamawa Central), Kaila Samaila Dahuwa (Bauchi North), Titus Tartenger Zam (Benue North West), Emmanuel Udende (Benue North East), William Eteng Jonah (Cross River Central), Neda Imasuen (Edo South) and Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central).
Others who failed in securing their party’s return tickets include Senators Francis Ezenwa (Imo East), Musa Garba (Kebbi South), Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central), Olajide Ipinsagba (Ondo North), Olubiyi Fadeyi Oluwole (Osun Central), Diket Plang (Plateau Central) and Banigo Ipalibo Harry ( Rivers West).
