Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno and Senator Cyril Fasuyi lead an early endorsement of Godswill Akpabio and other principal officers ahead of the 2027 elections, raising questions about leadership continuity and the right of the next Senate to choose its presiding officers.
Senators in Nigeria’s 10th National Assembly have publicly endorsed Senate President Godswill Akpabio for another term, declaring that his position should remain occupied when the 11th Senate is inaugurated in June 2027. The endorsement took place during plenary in Abuja on Thursday, October 15, 2026, following statements by Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno and Senator Cyril Fasuyi of Ekiti North. The lawmakers expressed confidence that Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and other principal officers would retain their leadership positions after the next general elections. Akpabio subsequently put the proposal to a voice vote, with senators present expressing support and no opposing response audibly recorded. The development comes as political consultations intensify ahead of the January 2027 National Assembly elections. However, the endorsement does not constitute a binding election of leaders for the next Senate, whose membership and presiding officers will be determined through separate electoral and parliamentary processes.
The endorsement began when Monguno, who represents Borno North Senatorial District, expressed optimism that most serving senators would secure fresh mandates and return to the National Assembly. He maintained that the existing Senate leadership should remain intact, extending his declaration beyond Akpabio to the Deputy Senate President and other principal officers. His remarks reflected a preference for continuity among lawmakers who support the present leadership structure. Fasuyi, an All Progressives Congress senator representing Ekiti North, subsequently backed the proposal and argued that the Senate presidency should not be regarded as available for contest in the next Assembly. The statements turned an ordinary plenary sitting into an early public discussion about the composition of the Senate leadership after the 2027 elections. Although the two senators presented their position confidently, they were expressing political support rather than announcing a completed constitutional process for choosing the leadership of the next legislature.
The strongest declaration came from Monguno, who told his colleagues that he expected many incumbent senators to return after the elections. He summed up his position with the words, “There is no vacancy,” a statement that other lawmakers subsequently echoed. Fasuyi seconded the proposal, saying that Akpabio should continue as Senate President when the 11th National Assembly begins its work. Following the interventions, Akpabio asked senators to indicate whether they supported the position. Those in favour responded audibly, while no opposing response was recorded in the chamber. Akpabio then indicated that the issue had been settled among those participating in the exchange. The reaction demonstrated support from the senators present, but the proceedings did not establish how every member of the Senate intends to vote when the leadership of the next Assembly is formally determined.
The endorsement also came amid a controversy over Akpabio’s remarks during a Senate debate on the Suicide Prevention Bill 2026. His comments about religious beliefs and suicide had drawn criticism from commentators who accused him of making insensitive statements about Muslims. Addressing the controversy during Thursday’s sitting, Akpabio rejected the suggestion that he intended to disparage Islam and complained that remarks made during legislative debates were being interpreted for political purposes. He referred to his history of sponsoring religious pilgrimages by Muslims and Christians as evidence of his respect for both faiths. The subsequent endorsement by Monguno and Fasuyi occurred after that explanation, placing the discussion of his future leadership within a wider debate about his conduct as Senate President. There is no established evidence, however, that every senator who supported the endorsement was responding specifically to the religious controversy.
Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno, representing Borno North, publicly supported Akpabio’s return as Senate President in 2027.
The constitutional position is different from the political declaration made during plenary. Section 50 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution provides for the election of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President by members of the Senate. The current Senate therefore cannot permanently allocate the leadership offices of an Assembly that has not yet been constituted. The next parliamentary leadership will depend on which candidates win seats in the National Assembly elections and the choices subsequently made by the elected senators. The Senate President must first be a member of the chamber before being eligible for the leadership position. This means that Akpabio’s continued membership of the Senate and any future leadership contest are separate questions. Political parties, lawmakers and influential officeholders may endorse preferred candidates before inauguration, but such endorsements do not replace the constitutional procedure for choosing presiding officers.
The debate has a direct historical parallel in Akpabio’s own election as Senate President on June 13, 2023. At the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, he faced former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari in a contested election that attracted considerable attention from political parties and lawmakers. Akpabio secured 63 votes, while Yari received 46 votes from the 109 senators participating. The result established Akpabio as Senate President, while Barau Jibrin emerged unopposed as Deputy Senate President. Akpabio had previously served as Governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015, Senate Minority Leader and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. His emergence in 2023 followed consultations within the All Progressives Congress and support from influential political figures, including President Bola Tinubu. That experience demonstrates how party negotiations and endorsements can shape parliamentary leadership contests while leaving the final selection to elected members of the legislature.
The renewed endorsement has also attracted attention because of discussions about possible contenders for the leadership of the 11th National Assembly. Reports have linked Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma to a possible interest in the Senate presidency after the completion of his governorship tenure. Such reports remain speculative unless accompanied by a formal declaration or other verifiable steps towards a candidacy. The timing of the endorsement suggests that some senators are seeking to express a preference for leadership continuity before the next Assembly is formed. Akpabio’s supporters argue that retaining experienced presiding officers would help preserve institutional knowledge and maintain legislative coordination. Another perspective is that early declarations about supposedly occupied offices risk giving the impression that future leadership choices have already been settled. Both considerations are relevant, but neither changes the constitutional right of newly elected senators to participate in selecting their leaders.
For Nigeria’s political system, the issue extends beyond the ambitions of individual lawmakers. The Senate President oversees proceedings in the upper chamber, influences legislative scheduling and performs important constitutional duties as a presiding officer of the National Assembly. The occupant of the position helps manage debates over government appointments, national budgets, proposed legislation and oversight of federal institutions. Consequently, the selection of Senate leadership affects relations between the legislature and the executive branch, as well as the ability of different political groups to participate in parliamentary decisions. Supporters of Akpabio’s continued leadership can point to experience and continuity, while critics of early endorsements may emphasise competition and legislative independence. These are institutional questions that cannot be resolved solely by a declaration from incumbent senators, particularly before voters have chosen the membership of the next Assembly.
The broader political context includes the approaching 2027 general elections and the relationship between Akpabio’s leadership and President Tinubu’s administration. The Senate President recently reaffirmed his support for Tinubu’s re-election campaign during the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council in Abuja. According to an October 15 statement from the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Akpabio described the National Assembly as supportive of the President’s administration and defended its reform programme. Such statements reflect his political alignment with the administration but should not be interpreted as proof that every senator shares the same electoral position. Opposition lawmakers and future members of the Senate retain their own political and parliamentary choices. As the election period approaches, the balance between party cooperation, institutional independence and legislative oversight will remain relevant to discussions about who should lead the chamber.
The next decisive stage will be the National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, followed by the inauguration of the 11th National Assembly in June. Candidates seeking seats must first complete the relevant electoral processes, and successful candidates will then participate in the formation of the new legislature. For Akpabio, any continuation as Senate President would depend on his membership of the new Senate and his selection through its leadership election. Barau Jibrin and the other principal officers face similar considerations regarding any proposed return to their positions. The October 15 proceedings demonstrate that there is an organised expression of support for continuity within the present chamber, but they do not establish the outcome of a future leadership election. No formal vote by the members of the 11th Senate has occurred because that Assembly has not yet been constituted.
The declaration of support for Godswill Akpabio has brought the contest over the next Senate’s leadership into public discussion months before the 2027 elections. By endorsing Akpabio, Barau Jibrin and other principal officers, some serving senators have expressed a preference for retaining the existing leadership structure. However, their declaration has no power to prevent other eligible senators from seeking leadership positions when the new Assembly convenes. The constitutional process requires that Nigerians first elect their representatives and that the newly constituted Senate then determine its presiding officers. The episode illustrates the competing considerations of political continuity, institutional independence and internal democratic choice within Nigeria’s legislature. For now, Akpabio has secured a public endorsement from colleagues in the current Senate, but the leadership of the 11th National Assembly remains a decision for the lawmakers who will take their seats after the 2027 elections.
