10th Senate: Senators-elect reportedly withdraw support for Akpabio over accusation
Some Senators-elect who previously supported Senator Godswill Akpabio for the Senate Presidency are reportedly having second thoughts and withdrawing their support for the former minister of Niger Delta affairs.
According to unconfirmed reports making round the media, this is due to Akpabio’s shaky relationship with the National Assembly as Minister of the Niger Delta.
One Senator-elect who pleaded anonymity with newsmen confirmed the withdrawal of support for Akpabio, stating that he cannot support him to be the Senate President after he openly despised the National Assembly.
He said, “I have withdrawn support for Senator Akpabio. It’s not only me. Many of us have withdrawn our support, and it will show on the floor.
”I used to have very high regard for Senator Akpabio as a person, but I can’t support him to be the Senate President.
“How can he (Akpabio) come and preside over an institution which he once described as a cesspit of corruption after benefitting from the same institution.”
Recall that Akpabio while serving as the minister of Niger Delta affairs accused National Assembly members of benefiting from large contracts in the Niger Delta Development Commission without proof, which Rep members saw as disrespectful to the legislature.
While appearing before a House of Representatives committee probing the alleged mismanagement of N81.5 billion by the commission, Akpabio said National Assembly Members were the biggest beneficiaries of contracts awarded by the commission.
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Thereafter, Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House of Representatives, charged him to name the lawmakers or face the “wrath of the house”.
Akpabio went on to name Peter Nwaoboshi, chairman of the senate committee on NDDC, Matthew Urhoghide, senate committee chairman on public accounts, and James Manager, senator representing Delta South, as some of the beneficiaries.
However, Akpabio later on denied accusing members of the National Assembly of collecting 60% of the contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), stating that he only made reference to 60 per cent during his presentation before the NDDC committee and it was in response to a question by a member of the committee.
GistReel reports that senators-elect will, at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly on June 13, 2023, elect a new Senate President for the next four years.
Senator Akpabio is contesting with the former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdul’ Aziz Yari, who is said to enjoy large followership among senators-elect across party lines.
