According to reports, Godswill Akpabio, the former governor of Akwa Ibom, has been selected by the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, to serve as the Senate president.

According to Daily Trust, Senator Jibrin Barau, who has been chosen to serve as Akpabio’s deputy, would be partnered with him.

The aforementioned pair is one of nine candidates vying for the Senate president of the tenth assembly, which is scheduled to take office on June 13.

Sources who spoke with Daily Trust disclosed that Tinubu, who returned to the country on Monday, revealed his decision to Akpabio and Barau during a meeting held in Abuja.

The development comes following a meeting between the President-elect, Barau, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti) and the Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji on Tuesday.

It was gathered that Barau was asked to drop his bid for the Senate presidency in the interest of national cohesion, fairness and religious balancing during the meeting.

“He was told to drop his ambition for the emergence of a Christian as the president of the next Senate.

“The president-elect told Barau that he is extremely qualified for the job but that he should drop his ambition for the emergence of a Christian to enable his administration to commence on a good footing.

“He said since he (Tinubu) and Senator Kashim Shettima (the vice president-elect) are Muslims, the right thing to do is to support a Christian.

“It was after the pleas that the president-elect told Barau that he would want him to work with Akpabio as deputy Senate president,” the anonymous source shared.

Confirming the news, a second individual who is a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said Tinubu has reached out to Akpabio and Barau on his decision to pair them for the Senate presidency.

“I was not there when the meeting was held but two people who attended it have told me of the decision by Asiwaju.

“It is a fact that he has settled for Akpabio and Barau for the Senate president and deputy,” the individual stated.