Leaders of the Niger Delta region have vowed to resist any attempt to impeach Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that rumours on Saturday claimed that some senators had met in Saudi Arabia to plan Akpabio’s impeachment.
This publication learnt that the plot is being led by Senators Abdulaziz Yari (APC-Zamfara), Aminu Tambuwal (PDP-Sokoto), and Mohammed Onawo Ya’u Sumaila (PDP-Nasarawa).
The plotters are accusing Akpabio of being too subservient to President Bola Tinubu and of not allowing the Senate to function independently.
Reacting in a statement signed by the Secretary of the Citizens Network for Peace and Development (CNPDN), Francis Wainwei, the Niger Delta leaders said that no serious Nigerian should take the threat seriously.
They pointed out that in the last 10 years, no Senate President had spread the chairmanship of standing committees as widely as Akpabio. They also noted that opposition members, as well as senators elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), had been given “juicy” committees.
The leaders said the senators pushing for Akpabio’s impeachment were part of a bigger plot to destabilize the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by causing unnecessary tension in the National Assembly.
They challenged the purveyors of the impeachment moves to show their faces and be ready to accept the consequences.
The statement read: “We woke to a funny story on Saturday morning about a purported plan by some unnamed senators to impeach Akpabio. Such stories can be ignored. But because we live in a society where some people take jokes too far, we’ve to immediately stop them.
“Before those unnamed senators take their jokes too far, we need to remind them that we won’t fold our hands and watch them. We’ll resist any attempt or move by anyone.
“We know the antecedents of these people and we know that they’re actually targeting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Once they weaken the National Assembly, they’ll go after President Tinubu. We won’t allow them.
“If you couldn’t win elections through the ballots, you can’t also take over power through the backdoor. Akpabio will remain the President of the 10th Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly.
“No Senate President has ever done what Akpabio has done in a few months. If not for mischief, why are they in a hurry to disturb Akpabio? The South South supported these same people when they were in power.
“Why would they want to sabotage Akpabio who is the highest political office holder from the South South which is the economic power of the country.
“For the sake of peace, we call on those jokers to leave Akpabio alone and allow him to focus on the task of rebuilding Nigeria with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Rebuilding Nigeria is a task for everyone. If you can stand the heat, we urge you to exit the kitchen and allow those who mean well for Nigeria to do the right thing.”
