Senator Opeyemi Bamidele has opened up on how they ensured that Godswill Akpabio emerged Senate President of the 10th National Assembly. Bamidele who is the Deputy Director General of Akpabio/Barau campagin for Senate President in the 10th National Assembly said he arrived the National Assembly complex at anout 4am on Tuesday to avert what happened in 2015 Senate President election. The 10th National Assembly was inaugurated on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. Recall that in 2015, Senators-elect loyal to former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, kept vigil in the National Assembly Complex to install the former governor of Kwara State as Senate President while other Senators-elect were at the International Conference Center in Abuja to meet with the the President Muhammadu Buhari at the time of inauguration of the 8th National Assembly. However, speaking at the reception for his swearing-in for a second term in the Senate, Senator Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central senatorial district of Ekiti State, said that he has not been able to sleep in the last 48 hours in order to ensure the victory of Akpabio as Senate President of the 10th Senate. According to him, “I have not been able to sleep for the last 48 hours in order to ensure that Senator Godswill Akpabio emerge as Senate President.“We entered the National Assembly Complex around 4am 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.” He, therefore, thanked the royal fathers that came from the Ekiti Central Senatorial district for their presence at the reception. Meanwhile, the immediate-past Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has described Senator Bamidele as the pillar of the 9th Senate, applauding him for his contributions to nation building in the ninth Senate. According to him, “from day one, he has been a pillar of my Senate Presidency. We had some few cases that I asked him to handle and he performed excellently.“We have become a family as we continue another four years in the Senate and beyond.” Other prominent personalities at the reception were Ajero of Ijero-Ekiti, Adebayo Adewole; Oluyin of Iyin Ekiti, Ajakaye, among others.
