A member of the House of Representatives and chairman, House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, has lambasted the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for allegedly turning the burial of the late Access Holdings Plc GCEO, Herbert Wigwe, wife and first son, to a venue for political attack on Rivers State governor, Siminialayi Fubara.
Ugochinyere’s reaction comes on the heels of a banter between the Governor Fubara and Akpabio at the Wigwes’ funerals in Isiokpo, Ikwerre local government area of Rivers State, on Saturday.
Governor Fubara had while delivering his tribute at the burial ceremony said, “What’s all these struggle about? You want to kill, bury, what’s it all about?”
Speaking later and apparently responding to Govenor Fubara, the Senate President said: “What’s the struggle about? I will answer you. In 2006, I wanted to be deputy governor. The then deputy governor invited me and said this office has no money. There’s nothing in it. I don’t know why you still insist on removing me from here and taking over.
“So a woman who went with me said ‘your excellency, then don’t wait for impeachment, just resign if there’s nothing in it’. And I said ‘it’s true, that’s why I want it. You’re too big for it’. So, Mr Fubara, if there’s nothing in the struggle, don’t struggle.”
But, reacting to the banter, Hon. Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato North/South federal constituency of Imo State, in a statement on Saturday, described Akpabio’s utterance as ‘childish and unnecessary’.
He wondered why the Senate President would decide to turn a sad moment when a family and friends were mourning such tragic losses to political jamboree.
He stated that Governor Fubara had never had issues with Akpabio, recalling that although a PDP governor, Fubara urged federal lawmakers-elect from his state to vote for Akpabio as Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.
Ugochinyere further recalled that Fubara supporting Akpabio was to advance “national interest.”
The lawmaker said this was not the first time Akpabio was meddling in opposition politics, adding that the opposition won’t continue to tolerate it.
He said, “The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio should stop meddling in opposition politics. Last month Akpabio at a function in the Tai local government area of the state asked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nyesom Wike to look for someone from Ogoni extraction to succeed state governor, Siminialayi Fubara in 2027.
“Today, he’s responding to a remark by the Governor that has nothing to do with him. The opposition is urging the Senate president to be mindful of his utterances. How can he turn the burial of late Access Bank CEO, Herbert Wigwe, wife and first son, such a sad moment to a political attack?. It’s disappointing. That’s political recklessness taken too far. We, the opposition parties won’t tolerate such utterances anymore if it continues.”
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