Abdulaziz Yari Positions for Senate Presidency Amid Challenges

Senator Abdulaziz Yari, who represents Zamfara West, was defeated in the June 2023 Senate Presidency election by Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North), receiving 46 votes against Akpabio's 63. Following his defeat, Yari was detained by the Department of State Services in July 2023 regarding election spending.

He is now the Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 campaign council, where Akpabio and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin (Kano North) serve as deputy directors-general. Yari's political background includes being a two-term former governor and former chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

Despite his wealth and extensive political network, he faces challenges due to regional zoning that favors candidates from the South-south for the presidency and the North-west for the deputy position. On October 15, 2026, serving senators declared the presidency of the 11th Senate not vacant, pledging to return Akpabio and Barau unopposed.

The 11th Senate is set to be inaugurated in June 2027.