The 51 Senators from the 17 southern states on Wednesday elected Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru (APC – Lagos East) as the new chairman of the forum alongside four other executive members.

Naija News understands that Abiru takes over as chairman from Senate leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC – Ekiti Central).

The Vice Chairman of the Forum is Senator Victor Umeh (LP – Anambra Central); the Secretary is Mpigi Barinada (PDP – Rivers South East); the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the forum is Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC – Cross River South); while Kenneth Eze (APC – Ebonyi Central) emerged as the treasurer of the forum.

The election was held by the 51 senators in the Conference Room of the Senate leader.

Briefing journalists during the meeting, Senator Bamidele, who served as chairman of the forum during the 9th Senate, said his current position as leader of the 10th Senate prevented him from providing the required leadership, necessitating a change of leadership.

He said: “What is happening here today is not new as both the Southern and Northern Senators’ fora existed even before this 10th Senate.

“At this meeting of the Southern Senators, new executive members will be announced to steer the affairs of the forum.”

He disclosed that Abiru, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and Other Financial Institutions, emerged as the chairman of the Southern Senators’ Forum.

After he emerged as chairman, Abiru expressed a desire to partner with the Northern Senators forum to move the country forward.

Abiru said: “The Southern Senators’ Forum is to champion the cause of Nigeria and Nigerians. We have our Northern brothers with the Northern Senators’ Forum. We will work together with the Northern Senators’ Forum to move the country forward.”

“The last leadership has transferred power to us. We’ve been running the forum as if we don’t exist. The present leader of the Senate was the leader of the Southern Senators’ Forum. He was too engaged on other issues, but we now have new leadership, which is headed by me,” he added.

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