Senate President: Yari’s alliance with PDP unsettles Akpabio despite Tinubu’s support
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulazeez Yari, has reportedly expanded his base with an alliance with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the June 13 inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.
It emerged yesterday at the burial ceremony for Pa Abraham Diri, father of the Bayelsa State Governor, Duoye Diri, that Yari and top opposition party, the PDP, were plotting to sabotage the chances of the anointed candidate of the President-Elect, Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio, the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, is the choice of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-Elect.
Yari is reportedly in league with Orji Uzor Kalu to corner the position of Senate President and Deputy, respectively.
Yari was in Bayelsa for the burial ceremony which was attended by many PDP chieftains including it’s presidential candidate in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, a former chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, and many senators elected on the platform of the party.
It was gathered that the burial ceremony provided an avenue for the politicians to consolidate on their plans.
But a chieftain of the APC who is also the Vice President, Nigerian Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Council, Balarabe Rufai, has called on Senator Yari to sheath his sword and accept the position of APC on Senator Godswill Akpabio as Senate President.
Rufai made the call in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.
The former National Coordinator of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) called on Yari to allow the position of the APC and that of his President-elect Bola Tinubu, to come into play and not contest for the position.
“The decision is that Senator GodsWill Akpabio should emerge as the Senate President while Senator Barau Jibrin from Kano State should be his Deputy.
“However, this appeared not to go down well with Senator AbdulAzeel Yari from Zamfara, who, according to media reports, insists on contesting for the Senate Presidency.
“In this regard, I call on His Excellency, Senator AbdulAzeel Yari, to sheath his sword and allow the position of his party and that of his President-elect to come into play.”