Senate Presidency: Yari Emerges as Prominent Contender

In June 2023, Senator Abdulaziz Yari lost the Senate Presidency vote to Godswill Akpabio by a narrow margin of 63 votes to 46. Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State who represents Zamfara West, made a surprise return to the political arena. He is now a director-general of President Bola Tinubu's 2027 campaign council. Akpabio and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin also serve on the council as deputy directors-general.

The main strengths and weaknesses of Yari's bid revolve around his impressive credentials and a history of financial scrutiny. He is a two-term former governor and a former chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, and is the Chairman of Geregu Power, indicating his ties to the northern political bloc. Moreover, Yari is considered one of the wealthiest politicians in the north.

His supporters maintain that all of his financial dealings were legal, countering allegations from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). However, Yari's bid faces regional challenges as he hails from the North-west region, and the party has zoned presidential and deputy roles to the South-south and North-west respectively in 2023.

With Tinubu's close association with Akpabio, Yari's bid to challenge them from within the Senate seems unlikely. Furthermore, senators tend to vote for their own leaders, which also works against Yari. Despite being declared an incumbent by serving senators on October 15, 2026, the 11th Senate is set to be inaugurated in June 2027, after the January general election, making Yari's situation uncertain. The next significant development to watch is the re-election rate of sitting senators.