The Coalition for Parliamentary Democracy (CPD) has expressed displeasure over the public conduct of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Akpabio recently advised the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, to “ignore” the Senator representing the FCT, Senator Ireti Kingibe.
Wike and Kingibe have been having a running battle after the senator accused the minister of sidelining her in the affairs of the FCT.
CPD, in a statement, asked Akpabio to seek advice from past holders of the office, adding that his recent mannerisms while presiding in the chamber show a “lack of expected decorum, carriage and knowledge on parliamentary practices and procedures.”
CPD’s national coordinator, Menike Johnson, frowned at what he described as Akpabio’s pettiness in dragging his animosity to the floor of the Senate using the privilege of the chair, the symbol of the parliament authority.
Claiming that Akpabio’s actions and utterances as ridiculing the institution, the group said previous Senate Presidents like Ahmad Lawan, Bukola Saraki, and David Mark conducted the affairs of the institution in reverence and respect which the office demands.
“If he (Akpabio) sought the advice of his predecessors in that office, he would have been counselled that the Chair of the Senate President in the chamber is not designed for personal scuffles.
“The expectations of Nigerians is that Akpabio as the Senate President will provide for legislative instruments that will help President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to solve economic challenges confronting the nation”, the group said.
