The opposition and Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Senators have rejected the apparent choice of Godswill Akpabio as the next substantive Senate President.
They were reacting to news reports that Akpabio and Junrin Barau had been choosen by the APC and Bola Tinubu, to become the next president and deputy-president of the Senate.
Relatedly, Tajudeen Abbass from Kaduna State and Benjamin Kalu from Abia State have been choosen to be the next speaker and deputy speaker of the House of representatives.
This development has reportedly not gone down well with the opposition members, especially those from the PDP.
The Daily Post is reporting that newly elected Senators are pointing out the bad sides of Akpabio and are saying he is not in the good books of the other members.
There are reports that only 3 PDP Senators from Rivers State are supporting Akpabio apparently on the orders of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
The reports also alleged that Akpabio was trying to bribe the members to support his ambition. An anonymous Senator from the South South is alleged to have made the following comments:
“He is offering us money but we don’t want his money because he is not principled. He will eventually sell out the Senate if allowed to be the Senate President, the source alleged.
“Remember what he did in 2018/2019. The PDP honoured him as a first-timer in the Senate by giving him an exalted position of Minority Leader.
”Without any just cause, save for his pocket and selfish interest, he abandoned the PDP midstream and joined APC. He was rewarded with a ministerial position. We can’t trust such a person as a Senate President, he is unstable,”
Akpabio is a two time Governor of Akwa Ibom State. He defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress during his term as a Senator. He subsequently lost his relection bid to the Senate after this defection and was rewarded with the position of Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
