Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Ekiti State, revealed that most of those who voted for Godswill Akabio as senate president arrived at the national assembly by 4am to ensure he gets elected.
Bamidele, Deputy Director of the Deputy Director General of Akpabio/Barau campaign said they arrived at the national assembly on time to ensure that what happened during the 8th senate didn't happen again. During the 8th senate, Senator Bukola Saraki who refused to accept the wish of the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for Senator Ahmad Lawan to lead the 8th senate, arrived on time while other senators were waiting and eventually got elected. Akpabio eventually polled 63 votes to defeat the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari who got 46 votes.
Speaking at a reception organized after Akpabio was sworn-in, Bamidele said;
“I have not been able to sleep for the last 48 hours in order to ensure that Senator Godswill Akpabio emerged as Senate President.
“We entered the National Assembly Complex at about 4 a.m. in order to avert what happened in 2015. The victory wouldn’t have been possible if not for the efforts of the immediate past Senate President.”