10th Senate: Impeachment Uproars, Akpabio, between the Devil and Deep Blue Sea.
Senate resumed plenary on Tuesday, 3rd October, 2023 at 11: 14 a.m. after Eid Malud and the 63rd Independence holidays. During their meeting, all the business of the day, but the motion for amendment of senate standing Orders was stepped down due to want of time.
The core mandate of the motion was targeted at stopping the first-time Senators from becoming Senate President and Deputy Senate President of the Senate.
Our correspondent who interviewed some aggrieved senators got some revealing information that clearly shows that 2/3 of the Senators were not happy with the kangaroo amendment which has sinister motives behind it.
Responding to our correspondent, a senator from North Central who claimed anonymity, told us off camera that Senator Akpabio is a hypocrite who has sold the integrity of the 10th Assembly to the Presidency (Executive). He said what is good for the Gander is also good for the Goose, meaning that, if the Senate President and Deputy Senate President are not meant for the First time senators, in the same vein, all the Principal Officers’ positions should be exclusively kept for senators who have stayed in the Senate, more than one term.
Speaking with so much assurance, he berated Akpabio as someone who is corrupt and is not fit to lead the Hallowed Red Chamber at this point, where the country needs a pragmatic and dogged leader who can look into the eyes of the Executives and tell them the bitter truth and not be a “rubber stamp” legislative arm of government that can’t stand for the people who voted them into power.
Another anonymous Senator from Northwest revealed to us in confidence that Akpabio is scared of impeachment which will happen in the next two weeks. The Senator said that Senators are tired of the Senate President’s style of leadership, which is not fair and transparent to all concerned. He said categorically that whether Akpabio likes it or not, no Jupiter will stop Akpabio from being impeached as the Senate President by the fourth night. The Senator who didn’t want us to mention his name told us with assurance that Akpabio was already getting feedback that Senator Oshiomole from Edo State (Southsouth) has been projected for his replacement, that’s why he engineered the motion via the mechanism of the Senate Leader, Senator Bamidele, from Ekiti State(south-south) to make it impossible for first time senator from ascending to Senate President or Deputy Senate President. However, the senator, noted that their ill-fated plans would fall flat.
A Senator from Imo State, who spoke to us, name withheld, told us that for Akpabio to cement his nefarious plans, has called a meeting of new Senators that make up 70% of the 10th Senate, where he allegedly promised 3 billion naira each to 109 Senators for their Zonal Intervention Project if they agree to support his game plan of stopping one of them from becoming the Senate President or Deputy Senate President, which is their right to aspire to any level, they wish to aspire. The question now remains where does Akpabio intend to get such an amount of billions? These are mere lies and deceit of the senators who are new to the Senate. Further interactions with the senator from Imo revealed that all hands are on deck, behind the scenes to make sure he is disgraced from office. He said Akpabio is an unrepentant hypocrite who wants to change the standing orders of the senate just because of his selfish reasons which doesn’t hold water. He said everything is set for the emergence of Oshiomole as the next President of the 10th Senate. He opined that there is no way a half-baked law targeted at some individuals will be allowed to fly. He said the new law should be wholesome and not one-sided or seen to stop some few vibrant senators from aspiring. He suggested that if the new senators can’t be Senate President and Deputy Senate, in the same vein, new Senators shouldn’t occupy sensitive Principal Officers position. He said it is an aberration that should be condoned in ramifications.
Recall that Akpabio has been touching the Tiger’s tail in so many ways since he resumed office as the Senate President. During the Ministers screening he erred in various ways. Where he boldly told the Senators on camera that the Clerk of the Senate had sent a token to their bank accounts. When he saw that the statement wasn’t meant to be said in public, he withdrew it and cunningly said, the Clerk of the Senate has sent prayers to their email address.
Another wrong behavior of Akpabio which put the 10th Senate under the bus, was when the senate was in a state of confusion, when Senators were agitating against the confirmation of the Minister of Aviation, Hon. Barr. Festus Keyamo. Akpabio in a state of dilemma left the impulse of his fellow senators and ran helplessly to the President of Nigeria to seek advice and receive Commandments from the presidency via the instructions of the Chief of Staff to the President, Gbajabiamila. This was a total affront to the 10th Senate, which shows that Akpabio is a stooge and his holding power in proxy for the Chief of Staff to the President, which is a misnomer and is unacceptable by senators of good conscience and upright will.