10th NASS: Aggrieved Senators To Challenge Akpabio’s Emergence In Court

The furore over the leadership of the 10th National Assembly is far from abating as some aggrieved senators have concluded plans to challenge the emergence of Godswill Akpabio as senate president in court.

The lawmakers, LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered, are challenging the outcome of the senate president election on grounds that the ballot papers used in the election were serially barcoded.

It was also learnt that in the aftermath of the election of presiding officers in the 10th Senate, some senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are considering dumping the governing party.

A source at the Red Chamber told our correspondent that already, 22 Senators have perfected plans to defect to other political parties, thereby giving the opposition the majority in the Senate.

In the event such plans materialise, the opposition would have 72 Senators, while the APC would be left with 37 Senators.

But a former Senate chief whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, debunked the claim by his colleagues, saying there was no funny business conducted on the floor of the Senate during the June 13 which produced Akpabio as Senate president.

In a video which trended over the weekend, Kalu said, “Let me be honest with you, the election in the Senate was very transparent. Senator Akpabio won the election. It was free; it was fair. I congratulate the clerk of the National Assembly. I congratulate the clerk and all the staff of the Senate. You know, I cannot lie against my conscience. Akpabio won the election hands down.

“The former Abia governor further noted that there are no two Senates in the history of the Senate. “There is only one Senate. June 13 was the day we decided to have one Senate,” Kalu said

But Senators who spoke with our correspondent disagreed with Kalu’s position, just as they stated that the newly elected senate president will not complete his tenure.

Two senators from the North East who shared similar stance about the election said the election was manipulated against the candidature of Senator Abdul’aziz Yari.

One of the senators who did not want his name in print said, “Even though the election has been held and Akpabio emerged, there are still questions surrounding his victory. The ballot papers were tampered with and compromised. The ballot papers were serially barcoded such that the idea of secret balloting never existed. Some senators were forced to vote against their will. These actions were not only undemocratic but unconstitutional and embarrassing.

“Many senators who voted for Akpabio did so under compulsion and threat. They never wanted him to be president. We are interested in telling the world how barcodes were used to rig the election.

“Why should an electoral process be tampered with? Until it is determined there would be too many other questions to answer in the 10th senate. This is the first time ballot papers will have barcodes. Akpabio won’t last as Senate President.”

Two senators from North West – one from South West and one from South East spoke to our correspondent sharing the same position.

According to the senator from North West, “An election that was supposed to be secret balloting was manipulated and compromised.

“We believe that the right thing must be done to avoid international embarrassment. What happened on June 13 was against the Senate rule. You can’t have a senate president that came on board illegally. We will challenge the process and make sure that the electoral processes are not tampered with in the future.”