Headlines
Senate Presidency: Akpabio Solicits Prayers
The Senate President candidate for the the 10th National Assembly under the ruling All Progressives Congress, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has called for prayers for him saying there is war out there for him.
Akpabio stated this on Tuesday evening in his speech during a meeting with the APC Non-Serving Senators Group in Abuja.
He also promised that the 10th Senate would work with the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, to pay off the nation’s debts.
Akpabio further thanked the ex-lawmakers for their endorsement and promised to justify the confidence they reposed in him upon election as Senate President.
He said, “I am excited that God is keeping all of you alive. This is a family and I am very proud to belong to this family.
“I want to also appeal that you not only endorse us but support us with your prayers because what I am seeing out there is that it is a war. But I see it as a storm in a teacup.”
“For me, the priorities are very clear: an all-inclusive Senate that will work for Nigeria and that we will all be proud of.
“We must support the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to pay our debts,” Akpabio said.
On his part, the Governor of Cross Rivers state, Professor Ben Ayade, said he was at the meeting to confirm the support of the South-South for Akpabio and the APC candidate for the position of Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin.
The Cross River state governor added, “Nigeria is the leader of Africa and the world is watching. What is going to happen in the Senate would be taken as a reflection of African politics. Our people can’t afford to watch a macabre dance. We must have a seamless transition.
“The independence of the legislature is guaranteed in the constitution but it is derived from the executive.
“Leadership takes time to mature, let us support the nominee of Mr. President. I always support somebody with capacity and I know that Akpabio has the capacity. Let us move away from the emotional calculation on what my zone is going to have.”
In his contribution, senator Barnabas Gemade called for support for Akpabio and Jibrin.
He noted that since the North Central has Senator Abdullahi Adamu as National Chairman of the APC, South West has President-elect, Tinubu, NorthEast has Senator Kashim Shettima as Vice President-elect, and the position of Senate President and Deputy Senate President have been zoned to the South-South and Northwest respectively by the party, any zone left out would be taken of by the time the APC consummates it zoning of presiding offices in the House of Representatives.
On his part, the Minister of Special Duties, senator George Akume called on the APC to unite and support Akpabio and Jibrin towards a seamless take-off of the incoming administrations of President-elect Tinubu.
The high point of the meeting was when Akpabio ensure that Gemade and Akume shook hands and embraced as a symbol of resolving any crisis between them.
The convener of the group, senator Basheer Lado, in his welcome address said the APC Non-Serving Senators Group has risen to 76 members that are committed to the cause of ensuring the emergence of Akpabio and Jibrin as presiding officers of the 10th Senate.
Lado said, “As we are all aware, the APC NWC has endorsed the candidature and aspiration of Senator Godswill Akpabio as Senate President and Senator Barau Jibril as Deputy Senate President.
“As politicians and beneficiaries of Nigeria’s Democracy, we believe that the continued consolidation of Nigeria’s political maturity can only be sustained through Peace, Stability, Unity and Progress of the constituents that make up the entire country.
“Our support for the candidature of Senator Godswill Akpabio from the South as Senate President and Senator Barau Jibrin from the North as Deputy Senate President indeed is to strike the needed political balance, ethnicity and religious diversity of Nigeria as one indivisible nation.
“As critical stakeholders, we assure the leadership of the APC, The President-Elect, The Vice President Elect, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Barau Jibril of our unflinching commitment and support towards the actualisation of this objective.
“We therefore respectfully, once again appeal to other aspirants to step down their ambition in the interest of National Unity,Peace, National Stability of Nigeria and Party cohesion.
“We believe strongly,Senator Akpabio and Senator Barau Jibril at the helm of affairs in the 10th assembly will further compliment the administration of Distinguished Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima in delivering good governance and democratic dividends, to all Nigerians.”
The Punch
The Presidency has dismissed claims that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent comments were directed at the political situation in Rivers State or President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s constitutional decisions on the matter.
In a statement on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, the Presidency described the reports as a “gross misrepresentation.”
The statement clarified that Vice President Shettima’s remarks at the public presentation of a book by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), were misconstrued by some online platforms and individuals.
“These reports have distorted the Vice President’s comments in pursuit of a mischievous agenda,” it stated.
“They twisted his account of how the administration of former President Jonathan considered removing him as Borno Governor during the insurgency to falsely link it with current events in Rivers State.”
The Vice President, who spoke at the launch of OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block in Abuja on Thursday, was said to have referenced the past solely to commend Adoke’s professionalism while in office, and to reflect on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution regarding federal and state relations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office. The constitutional measure implemented was a suspension, not an outright removal.
“This action was taken in response to the grave political crisis in Rivers State at the time, with the governor facing a looming impeachment and the State Assembly complex under demolition,” Nkwocha clarified.
The Presidency insisted that the action taken by President Tinubu in declaring a state of emergency and suspending the Governor was fully in line with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which authorises such measures when there is a breakdown of public order requiring extraordinary intervention.
According to the statement, the President’s proclamation invoking Section 305(2) was subsequently ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the National Assembly, confirming the legitimacy and constitutional propriety of the decision.
“The action of President Tinubu in suspending Mr. Fubara and others from exercising the functions of office averted the governor’s outright removal. To conflate suspension with removal is misleading,” the statement further noted.
Nkwocha also stressed that Vice President Shettima’s comments were delivered extemporaneously and intended to underline the importance of public accountability and historical documentation.
He referenced the Vice President’s mention of past public servants, including Adoke and former Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to illustrate principled leadership.
“His remarks were not in any way a criticism of President Tinubu’s actions, which the Vice President and the entire administration fully support and stand by without reservation,” the spokesman stated.
The Vice President, the statement added, remains in “loyal concert” with President Tinubu and is committed to implementing all constitutional measures necessary to safeguard democracy and uphold order across the country.
Concluding, the Presidency called on media organisations and political actors to desist from misrepresenting public remarks for sensational or partisan purposes.
“We urge media organisations and political actors to desist from the destructive practice of wrenching statements from context in order to fabricate nonexistent conflicts,” Nkwocha said.
Headlines
Akpabio Relieves Natasha of Committee Chairmanship Position, Appoints Akwa Ibom Senator As Replacement
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has replaced suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora/Non-Governmental Organisations.
In her place, Akpabio named Senator Bassey Aniekun Etim (Akwa Ibom -East).
The Senate President, who made the announcement on the floor in Abuja on Thursday, did not give any reasons.
The committee position had remained vacant since March when the Senate suspended the Kogi-Central Senatorial District lawmaker for six months for flouting the Senate’s rule on the seating arrangement and seat allocation.
The suspended lawmaker, at a point, chaired the Senate Committee on Local Content before Akpabio reassigned her to the Committee on Diaspora/NGO, shortly before she ran into trouble with the Senate over her conduct on seat allocation.
The Supreme Court has affirmed the 2024 governorship election victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo.
In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, the apex court ruled that the appeal lacked merit. It upheld the earlier judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had both declared Okpebholo the validly elected governor.
