By Ahmed Akanbi
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has denied media reports claiming he promised to secure senatorial tickets for lawmakers who lost their party primaries.
In a statement issued at the weekend by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, Akpabio said he never made, nor authorized, such a promise.
The statement explained that Akpabio was only expressing empathy with colleagues affected by the outcome of the APC primaries during a meeting with them.
“He assured them that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is actively working to address all issues arising from the primaries, and that the final list of candidates will be released in due course in line with the party’s constitution and electoral guidelines,” Eyiboh stated.
Akpabio, according to the statement, remains committed to party discipline and due process, and will not interfere with the internal processes of the APC or make commitments outside the mandate of the National Assembly leadership.
The statement also addressed reports quoting a senator on the need for the Senate to publicly probe the military over recent security incidents.
While noting that legislative oversight is a constitutional duty, Akpabio said “this is not the opportune moment for a public probe of the Armed Forces.”
“At a time when our troops are engaged on multiple fronts against terrorism, banditry and other threats to national security, subjecting the military to a public legislative inquisition could undermine their morale and operational focus,” the statement said.
It added that Akpabio believes “support, collaboration and closed-door engagements with security agencies are more productive at this critical time.”
The Senate President said oversight will be exercised responsibly “without creating distractions that embolden adversaries or divert attention from the urgent task of securing Nigeria and its people.”
He urged the media and the public to disregard “sensational and inaccurate misrepresentation of his remarks” and to seek clarification from his office before publication.