Olujimi replaces Akpabio as Senate Minority Leader

Caucus of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has finally nominated Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Biodun Olujimi (Ekiti South), as the new Senate Minority Leader. 

Akpabio Vanguard gathered, yesterday, that with her appointment, Olujimi, who was deputy governor of Ekiti State, replaces the immediate past Senate Minority Leader and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North-West). 

A source told Vanguard, yesterday, that Senator Olujimi’s name would be made known when the Senate reconvenes in September from its annual recess. It would be recalled that Godswill Akpabio had last week, resigned his position as the Senate Minority Leader. 

Akpabio’s resignation was contained in a letter dated August 4, which he wrote to the Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha. Vanguard gathered that Senator Emmanuel Paulker (PDP, Bayelsa Central) now takes over the position of Olujimi as the Senate Deputy Minority Whip.

Sen Abiodun Olujimi According to the source, the PDP caucus took the decision to have Olujimi, a former member of the House of Representatives, in order to have a vibrant member from the South-West since Governor Ayodele Fayose, who has been very active, will soon round off, having completed his second term in office as governor. 

The source said further that Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP, Taraba South) and Senate Minority Whip, Senator Philip Aduda (PDP, FCT) would retain their positions because they are both from the north. 

Vanguard also gathered that the position of Senate Minority Leader did not go to the South because the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, is from Rivers State, South-South geo-political zone of the country. 

According to the source, Olujimi was chosen because the party wants to recognise the contributions of women and she being one of the most active senators, it became imperative for her to take the position. The South-East was not considered because the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, hails from Enugu (South-East). The PDP caucus had said it would get a very vibrant replacement who would lead the business of the party in the Senate successfully. Related