Members of the Senate have thrown their weight behind Senate President Godswill Akpabio for a second term, declaring that there is ‘no vacancy’ in the leadership of the 10th National Assembly ahead of the 2027 elections.
The show of support came Thursday during plenary, when Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno and Senator Cyril Fasuyi said the Senate presidency for the 11th National Assembly, due to be inaugurated after the 2027 general elections, was effectively already settled.
“There is no vacancy,” Monguno, who represents Borno North, told colleagues.
He said he expected most incumbent senators to return and predicted that Akpabio would retain the chamber’s top job.
He extended the declaration to the deputy Senate president and other principal officers.
Fasuyi, representing Ekiti North, endorsed the position, saying the seat “is already occupied by Senator Godswill Akpabio” and was not open to any contest.
Akpabio then asked the chamber whether the declarations reflected its broader view.
When he called for those in favor to say “aye,” the response was audible across the floor.
No audible opposition followed.
“I think that settles it,” Akpabio said.
The exchange amounted to a political signal rather than a binding vote.
Under the legislative process, the Senate president and other presiding officers are elected when a new National Assembly is inaugurated, meaning Akpabio’s return will depend on the composition of the next chamber and the outcome of the 2027 elections.
Still, the display underscored the early maneuvering around leadership of the next Senate—and suggested that Akpabio’s allies intended to frame his continuation as a foregone conclusion well before lawmakers formally cast their ballots.
