‘No pro- or anti-Akpabio senators’ — Orji Kalu says senate president won transparent election

Orji Uzor Kalu, senator representing Abia south, says the election that produced Godswill Akpabio as the senate president was free and fair.

Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs, polled 63 votes to defeat Abdulaziz Yari, senator representing Zamfara west, who scored 46 votes in the election held on June 13.

The former governor of Abia state said Yari and others who wanted to be senate president understand that they need to support Akpabio.

After the election, Yari alleged that he was betrayed by his colleagues because he was confident of scoring at least 61 votes of the 109 seats in the senate.

In a video clip on his Facebook page, Kalu, who also aspired to become the senate president in the 10th national assembly, said there was no controversy about who won the election.

“Let me be honest with you, the election in the senate was very transparent. Senator Akpabio won the election,” he said.

“It was free, it was fair. I congratulate the clerk of the national assembly, I congratulate the clerk and all the staff of the senate. You know I cannot lie against my conscience. Akpabio won the election hands down.

“There was no controversy about who won the election. If there is anything another person wants to say, that is their business. Akpabio, to my conscience, to my seeing and to my honour, won the election and we have since congratulated him.

“There are no pro and anti-Akpabio senators. Even Senator Abdulaziz Yari, understands we have to work with Akpabio.

“He is the senate president. We have congratulated him and I am using this sallah period to appeal to our people to come together and work as one senate.”