Akpabio Urges APC To Accommodate Defectors, Warns Against Discrimination

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has cautioned members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against discriminating against politicians defecting from other political parties, urging the ruling party to give all stakeholders equal opportunities to thrive.

Akpabio issued the warning on Thursday while speaking at the APC national caucus meeting held ahead of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Friday at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

“Stakeholders coming in from other political parties must be given equal opportunities to thrive. There must not be any discrimination. Do your best not to leave anybody behind,” Akpabio said.

He warned that as the party continued to expand, internal tensions were inevitable, noting that “as we grow, there will be envy, there will be jealousy. And with jealousy comes hatred. And with hatred comes challenges.”

Using the Senate as an example, Akpabio said deliberate efforts had been made to run an inclusive legislature irrespective of party affiliation, disclosing that the number of opposition Senators had drastically reduced since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

“When we came in, the opposition had almost 50 members. But today, when I counted, there are about five or four left in the opposition,” he said.

The Senate President further revealed that some of the remaining opposition lawmakers were already considering defecting to the APC.

“Even those five members have whispered to me that I should carry them to the President, the leader of the party, that they are prepared to join the APC. As the President of the Senate, I will soon bring some of them,” he disclosed.

However, Akpabio said he was not in a hurry to eliminate opposition entirely from the Senate, stressing the importance of maintaining balance in the legislature.

“I don’t want to run a Senate without any opposition,” he said, explaining that APC Senators who had defected at the state level but were yet to formally declare on the floor of the Senate were allowed to remain in the minority caucus to avoid an empty opposition bench.

“So because of that, I have intentionally allowed the APC members who have declared in their states, who are yet to declare in the Senate, to continue in the minority caucus. Otherwise, that place would have been empty,” he stated.

Akpabio specifically acknowledged Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah for allowing Senator Osita Ngwu to continue serving as Minority Whip of the Senate.

“I thank Governor Peter Mbah for allowing our Senator Osita Ngwu to continue to maintain the position of the Chief Whip of the minority for today. Otherwise, the place would have been empty,” he added.

Turning to national security, the Senate President expressed concern over the spate of insecurity across the country, describing it as “organised and orchestrated.”

“We are very sad that people have decided to torment Nigeria with very serious organized and orchestrated insecurity,” he said, adding that the caucus aligned itself with states mourning losses caused by terrorists, bandits and insurgents.

Akpabio commended President Bola Tinubu for the recent release of over 100 kidnapped schoolchildren and urged continued efforts to secure the freedom of those still in captivity.

“We thank the President for the release of over a hundred children who were kidnapped very recently, and we pray to God to give him the ability and enablement to release the remaining children,” he said.

He concluded by assuring President Tinubu of the APC caucus’ support, stressing that prayers for the President were also prayers for Nigeria.