10th NASS: Yari Meets Atiku In Bayelsa Over Senate Presidency [Photos]

Former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari has met with the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, in Bayelsa State.

Naija News reports that the Zamfara Senator-elect met with the former Vice President on Saturday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital for the funeral ceremony of the father of Governor Douye Diri.

It was gathered that Yari, who is among the contenders for the Senate Presidency of the 10th National Assembly, consulted with Atiku over his ambition to become the Senate President.

The former Zamfara governor also met with some PDP governors and chieftains led by the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, to persuade lawmakers elected on the platform of the party to help actualise his ambition.

Yari’s meeting with Atiku and PDP stalwarts is coming following speculations that the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, has backed the former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, for the 10th Senate Presidency.

Recall that Yari had said he remained determined to run for senate presidency despite Akpabio and Senator Barau Jibrin gaining 61 signatures for their joint Senate presidency bid.

A ranking senator that spoke with Daily Trust revealed that the 61 senators-elect supporting the Akpabio/Barau ticket come from various parties.

The lawmaker also revealed that one of the front runners, Senator Ali Ndume, was asked by the president-elect to drop his ambition and support the Akpabio/Barau ticket, which he reportedly obliged.

The source said they aim to collect 70 signatures before the inauguration.

But speaking on Saturday with executives of Tinubu Shettima Network (TSN), led by the National Chairman, Kailani Muhammad, in Abuja, Yari insisted on due process.

The former governor asserted that the Senate presidency is the senators’ business, adding that the lawmakers are doing what the constitution says that they should elect their leaders within themselves.