Senators of the 10th National Assembly have passed a resolution backing the return of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Barau Jibrin, as leaders of the 11th Senate, provided they win re-election in the 2027 National Assembly elections.
The development occurred during plenary on Thursday, as lawmakers expressed support for Akpabio and Barau to retain their respective positions in the next Senate.
The resolution effectively signals the preference of the current lawmakers for the leadership structure to continue into the 11th National Assembly, although the outcome of the January 16, 2027 election will determine which senators return to the chamber.
The move has, however, raised questions about whether the current Senate can influence the leadership arrangements of an incoming legislature before the electorate has decided who will constitute the next National Assembly.
Leadership positions in the Senate are determined by senators elected into the new Assembly.
Consequently, Thursday’s resolution cannot guarantee the re-election of any senator or automatically confer a leadership position on a member of the current Senate.
Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, distanced himself from the resolution, saying he was not in the chamber when it was adopted.
“I was not in the chamber when the said resolution was taken,” Ndume said after plenary.
The development comes about three months before the National Assembly elections, scheduled for January 16, 2027.
Under Nigeria’s constitutional system, voters elect members of the National Assembly, while senators in the newly constituted chamber subsequently elect their presiding officers.
Akpabio, who represents Akwa Ibom North-West, became Senate President in June 2023 after the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly. Barau, representing Kano North, emerged as Deputy Senate President.
Both lawmakers would have to secure fresh mandates from their constituents before they can return to the Senate in the 11th Assembly.
The resolution, therefore, does not settle the leadership of the next Senate.
Its implementation would depend first on the outcome of the 2027 elections and subsequently on the decisions of senators elected into the 11th National Assembly.
With the elections still ahead, the development is likely to fuel further debate over the role of the current legislature in determining the leadership configuration of an incoming Senate.
