Sexual Harassment Allegations Designed To Remove Akpabio As Senate President — PANDEF

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has raised the alarm that the sexual harassment allegations against the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, by the chairman of Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, were designed to remove the former from office.

PANDEF, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Chief Obiuwevbi Ominimini, said the allegations were also designed to stop President Bola Tinubu from running for a second term in office in 2027 general election.

The statement said the case of Akpoti-Uduaghan is the first phase for the North to carry out its plans, adding that it was the turn of the Southern Nigeria to produce the Nigeria’s President in 2027, having enjoyed two consecutive tenures by the North under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

It stated that with the statement by the publicity secretary of the Arewa onsultative Forum (ACF), it was a signal to the fact that it is nothing but a political war against the entire people of Southern Nigeria that is designed to incite the Northern Nigeria against the administration of Tinubu to restore power to Northern Nigeria in 2027.

PANDEF, however, called on the President of the Senate to remain resolute and be confident that the people of the South shall do all good things possible to rally round him in the face of what it described as exposed calculated political attack on his office and person and the Southern Nigeria-led presidency, warning that the Senate has its own rules, and ACF can not dictate to the Upper Chamber on how to conduct its business.

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The statement read, “It is very sad that the supposed revered Arewa consultative forum, ACF, has turned itself into a political hired machine for politicians. The press release by the Publicity Secretary of the ACF is nothing but a political war against the entire people of Southern Nigeria aiming to incite the Northern Nigeria against the Administration of President Bola Amed Tinubu to restore power to Northern Nigeria in 2027.

“In his statements, where he said, “at a period when citizens are being overwhelmed by dire existential living conditions on account of the impact of public policies on lives and livelihoods,” shows very clearly that the 2027.

“Presidential 2nd tenure of President Tinubu is the real target, but they have decided to start in parts, starting with those they feel are the power base of President Tinubu and Southern Nigeria. PANDEF therefore states categorically that it is the turn of the Southern Nigeria to produce the Nigerian President in 2027, having done two consecutive tenures by the North under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari

“The Senate is a well-established institution with rules and guidelines. One is glad to read that the ACF knows that this is the 10th Senate of Nigeria, which means that there had been Senate presidents in the past from Northern Nigeria. The Senate is a Chamber of Records. For ACF to insinuate that is only Northerners that are being suspended, and called for Northern Senators to rally round one of their own, is a threat to the unity of this country.

“Just to give one example, in the 8th Assembly, a southern Senator from the oil and gas rich region of South South Geopolitical zone, was suspended by a Northern Senate President. The Apex Sociopolitical body of the South South Geo-political zone,

“PANDEF, never intervened in the activities of the Red Chamber of the National Assembly. Neither did we call on the Southern or South South Senators to rally round one of our own. Suspensions and relocation of seats have been the normal things in the business of the legislature.

“Those who feel offended usually go to a competent court of law. That has been the normal practice. What ACF has just done is a call for anarchy, division, and a major threat to the unity of Nigeria.”