Attempts to Derail Akpabio’s Senate Presidency will Fail – Nasarawa APC Chairman
The Nasarawa State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Aliyu Bello, has vowed to mobilize support for the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, stressing that those attempting to derail his senate presidency will fail.
Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio Bello made this known while chatting with journalists in Abuja.
The APC stalwart pointed accusing fingers at some senators from the North, who out of selfish interests, are hatching plots to derail Akpabio’s leadership of the 10th senate.
According to him, those who came to the upper chamber of the National Assembly with a sense of entitlement, believing that no one is fit enough to hold the position of the senate president except them, are mobilizing and plotting to derail Akpabio’s leadership.
“I want to draw their attention to the fact that the North produced the senate president in the past eight years under the administration of former president Muhammadu Buhari. If there was anything a Northerner could have done as senate president, that period provided a golden opportunity.
“What these lawmakers are interested in is only the raw power which they continuously use to their personal advantage. They will not get what they want. Senator Akpabio has been doing his best to support President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s administration. We won’t allow fifth columnists to derail him,” he stated.
Hon. Bello blamed recent happenings on the floor of the senate, which led to the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) on the antics of senators habouring a misguided sense of entitlement, who feel they must either control the senate or they sink it.
Senator Ningi, Chairman, Senate Committee on Population, in a recent interview with the Hausa Service of the BBC, alleged that the 2024 budget was padded to the tune of N3.7trn.
The Nasarawa APC Chairman described such allegation as not only frivolous and reckless but intended to impugn on the integrity of the senate.
“I would like to draw the attention of Nigerians to the fact that the Senate passed the 2024 budget on December 30th with an increase of only N1.2trn. In November, President Tinubu presented a budget of N27.5trn before the National Assembly. N28.7trn was subsequently passed as the 2024 budget.
“As far as the facts are concerned Senator Ningi was only being mischievous and acting the script of those who may want to derail Akpabio’s leadership of the 10th senate,” he added.
Bello cited the same protest that greeted the appointment of former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike as Minister of the FCT, when northerners sought for his removal, claiming that only one of them is fit to occupy that office.
He stressed that all the previous FCT ministers from the North, except for Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, the rest merely paid lip service when they held sway, leaving the office without any tangible record of development.
“Today, Wike has justified that trust by our President and is working hard to ensure that he leaves a lasting legacy as FCT Minister. Those who wanted him replaced have forgotten that a northerner occupied that office for eight years without leaving any mark for Nigerians to see,” he said.
Bello emphasized that those seeking the downfall of Senator Akpabio have forgotten that the former governor of Akwa Ibom State sacrificed his position as majority leader of the 9th senate in order to protect the integrity of former president Buhari.
“This same Senator Akpabio relinquished his position as majority leader to join forces with the APC in order to save former president Buhari. We shouldn’t forget that too quickly, especially those senators who may want to get their pound of flesh from Senator Akpabio for demonstrating unblemished patriotism for our country,” he stated.
He warned that the APC would not watch idly while some individuals try to distract the administration of President Tinubu, who has demonstrated his confidence and trust in the leadership being provided by Senator Akpabio at the senate.
“We will mobilize every support for Senator Akpabio. We are happy with hid leadership of the senate, which is bringing tranquility and synergy between the national assembly and the executive arm of government,” he said.
Bello pointed out that for sixteen consecutive years, the North produced the senate president, with Senator David Mark spending eight years in office, followed by Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki who spent four years, while Senator Ahmad Lawan was the immediate past senate president and he spent four years in office.
“Are they now rejecting these individuals as Northerners? The North held sway at the senate for 16 years under Obasanjo, Jonathan and Buhari. Except they are now saying that Mark, Saraki and Lawan are not northerners,” he said.
He advised those ganging up against Senator Akpabio’s leadership, who may have expended stupendous resources to challenge his emergence as senate president, to sheath their sword.
“Senator Akpabio emerged through a keenly contested election. They should instead line up behind him and support him to succeed in his assignment,” he added.
