Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, succeeded Senator Ahmad Lawan as the Senate President.
With 63 votes, he defeated Senator Abdulaziz Yari who got 46 votes.
Before the voting on the floor of the Senate Chamber in the early hours of the day, former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, nominated and read the biography of Akpabio.
The nomination was seconded by Senator Olamilekan Solomon Yayi from Ogun State.
Senator Elisha Abbo from Adamawa State nominated Yari.
Akpabio (APC-Akwa Ibom) is the anointed candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He is now the Chairman of the National Assembly.
Senator Barau Jubrin (APC-Kano) was also elected as the Deputy Senate President.
Akpabio was born on December 9, 1962 to the family of Chief Obot Akpabio and Madam Lucy Obot Akpabio (née Inyangetor) of Ukana, Ikot Ntuen in Essien Udim Local Government Area (LGA) of Akwa Ibom.
He did his primary education at Methodist Primary School, Ukana and had his secondary education at the Federal Government College, Port Harcourt, after which he gained admission to study law at the University of Calabar and graduated in 1987.
Akpabio completed his law school studies at the Lagos Law School in 1988 and was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar.
After he was called to the bar, he worked briefly as a teacher and also as an associate partner with Paul Usoro and Co., a leading law firm in Nigeria.
He also worked with EMIS Telecoms Limited, a pioneer fixed wireless telecommunications company in Lagos.
In 2002, he rose to the position of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company.
While still in the Telecoms industry working as a Director at EMIS, Akpabio, served as the National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Telecommunication Companies in Nigeria, (ATCOM).
In 2002, Akpabio was appointed as Akwa Ibom state’s Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources and later Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
In 2006, he was appointed as the Commissioner for Lands and Housing.
In April 2007, he contested for the state governorship seat on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and was successful.
In the 2011, Akpabio contested for a second term and was successfully re-elected as the governor of Akwa Ibom State.
In 2015, he contested for the Awka Ibom North West Senate seat and won on the PDP platform.
He was the Minority Leader of the 8th Senate and also the Minister of Niger-Delta Affairs in the immediate past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He is a recipient of Nigerian National Honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
He holds several international, media and academic awards.
