The face-off between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the senator representing Edo North, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, is coming as a direct prelude to the division that would occur in the ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the 2027 elections, sources monitoring developments in the ruling party have said.

Sources have also said that the power tussle for the control of the National Assembly and the influential Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) is also fast emerging as a result of the botched removal of Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodinma as PGF chairman last week.

Though the bid was rescinded, sources said that the emerging cracks for the control of the polity were becoming intense ahead of 2027.

It emerged that a caucus governor forum was said to have received the blessing of some powerful hands in the presidency to effect Uzodinma’s removal and replacement with the governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah

Sources said that the twin issue of the battle between the Senate President and Oshiomhole was not as separate as they appeared as the two point to the battle ahead of the APC hierarchy after the 2027 polls.

One of the battles is about the control of the National Assembly. It was learnt as the Senate President Godswill Akpabio has kick-started a self-succession arrangement, which was eventually thwarted on Thursday.

Though the election into the next National Assembly is some nine months away, calculations on the next structure of government have started swapping up.

It was learnt that the developments are behind the rift in the Senate as well as the PGF.

It was learnt that Akpabio had mobilised to block the possibility of Governor Uzodinma’s emergence as the president of the 11th Senate.

Oshiomhole is believed to have his eyes on the Senate Presidency, something that accounted for his spirited move against the rule change influenced by Akpabio.

Despite the face-off between Akpabio and Oshiomhole, it is believed that the former governor of Edo State is focused on vying for the Senate Presidency in 2027, same as the former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdulaziz Yari and Uzodinma.

A titanic battle Is thus expected for the leadership of the National Assembly in 2027, which sources say may prove difficult for the presidency to rein in.

It would be recalled that despite the firm control President Tinubu exhibited on the National Assembly lawmakers in 2023, Yari was able to pull away and contest against the anointed candidate, Akpabio, and he was able to poll 41 votes, even though he was a fresh senator in the 10th Assembly. (Sunday tribune)