Aggrieved senators in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are planning for an upset if their president, Godswill Akpabio, fail to pacify them.
However, Akpabio’s camp has disclosed that the distribution of the principal offices and committees will address every grievance.
It was learnt that the aggrieved senators in the APC are recruiting opposition lawmakers mostly from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to work towards removing Akpabio as the Senate president.
It was gathered that the lawmakers are planning to ensure that Sen Abdulazeez Yari, who was defeated by Akpabio, bounces back because they believe that Yari will serve the interest of all.
The lawmakers, it was gathered, are already talking to their colleagues in the PDP, Labour Party, SDP, and others, waiting to see how Akpabio will take the office of the majority leader to the South instead of the North.
But sources have described this move as a tall dream adding that it is difficult to get the numbers to remove Akpabio.
The lawmakers in Akpabio’s camp said that once principal offices and committees are shared, the agitation will die down.
“The aggrieved lawmakers have a lot of work to do. To produce another president of the Senate, these aggrieved lawmakers will have to first remove Akpabio with at least 73 Senators (the two-thirds of 109). That is only possible if Akpabio did not give the North the office of the Senate leader,” a Senator said.
Another senator said, “There is no senator that is trying to leave the APC. The Senate has just been inaugurated and every senator wants to be carried along, especially those from the opposition. There is no APC senator that will want to defect now because there is great implication. But the lawmakers can still be in the APC and work against Akpabio.
“Some people are just planting stories that 22 Senators from the APC want to join the PDP. No senator will take that risk because before you remove the president of the Senate, you must have 73 senators. So, people raising that kind of alarm are just flying a kite.
“We don’t see that happening but if they sideline people who worked for Akpabio’s emergence, more than that number will join the opposition camp, not another political party, to get a new leadership.
“About 24 senators keyed into the Akpabio project because some influential lawmakers in the North were leading the campaign. If Akpabio did not ensure balancing in the Senate leadership especially the principal officers, these 24 lawmakers will now align with the 22 aggrieved APC senators. With about 46 senators in Yari’s campaign, Akpabio will not last in that seat because the Northern senators want the position of the Senate leader.
“We learned that Senator Opeyemi Bamidele is being positioned for the office of the Senate leader. If that is done, the Northern senators will not be happy with Akpabio and that will be the beginning of his problem.
“So, Akpabio must ensure that the Northern senators are pacified with the principal offices. So, the ball is in Akpabio’s court,” a senator from the North Central said.
Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers have raised an alarm over plans to destabilise the minority parties in the Senate.
According to the opposition lawmakers, there are plans to ensure that all the principal officers are loyal to the ruling party.
In a statement jointly signed by the leaders of the opposition lawmakers, they insisted on an independent Senate, and not one that is an appendix of the executive.
Those that signed the statement are: Mohammed Adamu Aliero (PDP Kebbi); Henry Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa); Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (PDP, Sokoto), Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi), Patrick Abba Moro (PDP, Benue), Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi; Sumaila Kawu, (NNPP, Kano) and Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah (YPP Anambra)
“It has come to the notice of the minority political parties in the Senate of an attempt by forces inside and outside the Senate to divide the minority parties and foist a pliant and compromised leadership on them.
“We have pledged to work constructively with the new Senate leadership and the Executive branch to deliver good governance to the Nigerian people. We consequently hereby advise and caution that they should not aid any group inside or outside the Senate to divide and destabilise the minority parties and the Senate institution.
“Senators of the minority parties would meet when the Senate reconvenes and, in consultation with our respective political parties, would select its leaders without undue interference from anti-democratic forces within or outside the Senate.”
They added that no senator had yet been endorsed or selected for any minority leadership position.
“Attempts to foist a one-party dictatorship would be resisted and would fail. We call on all members of the minority political parties to work together in unity to defend the democratic institution of the Senate and Nigeria,” the statement added.
We’ll Support Tinubu’s Policies – Akpabio
Meanwhile, Senate President Akpabio has said that the National Assembly would partner with the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to change policies inhibiting the progress and development of Nigeria
He thanked the president, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and his colleagues in the Senate for standing by and supporting him when he contested for the office of the president of the 10th Senate.
Akpabio stated this while speaking at a thanksgiving church service in his honour at the Regina Pacis Auditorium, St Anne’s Cathedral, Ifuho, Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of the state.
The former governor of the state, who arrived the Victor Attah International Airport to a rousing welcome by indigenes of the state across party lines, led by the state governor, Pastor Umoh Eno, assured the people of his District of quality representation as their Senator and President of the Senate.
He said, “I thank you all for coming out to celebrate God’s goodness in my life and that of my family. I thank you for the support during the campaigns and election proper. To those who didn’t vote for me, I will represent you well. Continue to pray for me and my colleagues as we daily navigate and steer the ship of the National Assembly for the betterment of all Nigerians.
“I am humbled by this show of love. Humility is all that matters in life. You will see the difference. What I want you to take back home is the fact that Nigerians have elected an uncommon Senate president. We will run an uncommon Senate for the benefit of the uncommon people. That is why I am here today to thank God for what he has done for me,” he stated.
Earlier in his homily, Most Rev Camillus Umoh charged the 10th Senate to work for Nigerians and right the wrongs of the past to show that they are different through legislations.
In a brief speech, former governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Dave Umahi thanked President Tinubu for supporting Akpabio to become the president of the10th Senate.
