Former Governor of Kwara State and former member of the PDP, now member of the APC, Senator Bukola Saraki, has emerged the president of the 8th Assembly Senate. He was elected unopposed. Saraki’s emergence is seen as a slap on the face of the leadership of the APC which favoured the emergence of Senator Lawan who was earlier adopted in a mock election by a section of the Senators-elect.

In the same vein, Senator Ike Ekweremadu (PDP) from Enugu state defeated Senator Ali Ndume from Borno State (APC) after scoring 44 votes to emerge the Deputy Senate President, a position he held in the last assembly. Ndume had 20 votes.

A total of 51 senators from the APC boycotted the session.

Saraki, a medical doctor by training is former two term governor of Kwara state. He is widely perceived as a better lawmaker fit for the position of Senate President, in spite of his public perception as someone not given to zero tolerance for corruption. He is a second term senator. He has been sworn-in by the clerk of the National Assembly.