The aspiration of the appointed candidate for the office of the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has suffered a setback as a major pro-democracy in the Niger Delta region has rejected his choice.
The group under the aegis of Niger Delta Political Assembly (NDPA), accused the former Akwa Ibom State Governor of bribing Senators-elect with $10,000 stolen from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) to endorse his aspiration.
In a chat with newsmen on Monday, the leader of the group, Dr. Offiong Offiong urged the senators-elect to defend the autonomy of the legislature by rejecting Mr Akpabio and his money.
“On this note, we call on senators-elect to totally reject Senator Akpabio and his dollars stolen from the NDDC and Akwa Ibom State, and allow the Southeast geopolitical zone to produce the next Senate President. Our senators-elect must show high level of integrity by rejecting Mr Akpabio because he is not fit to be the Senate President. I know our senators-elect are men of good conscience; they should not allow Akpabio’s dollars to influence their decision making on the inauguration day. They should allow justice to prevail by allowing the Southeast geopolitical zone to produce the next Senate President.”
NDPA insisted that the legislators-elect must stand up and defend the autonomy of the legislature or else, the next session of the National Assembly would be just as the bootlickers of the holder of the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
NDPA predicted that the emergence of Godswill Akpabio that has been invited several times for interrogation over an alleged heist by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would inevitably lead to the scrapping of EFCC or at the least, the administrative downgrading of the Commission.
“Imagine electing someone that lacks respect for the National Assembly and the EFCC? what would be the fate of these institutions having Akpabio as the next Senate President? Nigerians should rise and defend our unity. They should come out and add their voices to the demand that the members and senators-elect should be allowed the independence granted by the principles of separation of power to decide on the leadership of the 10th National Assembly. It is not enough to allow them decide on who would become the presiding officer; Akpabio should not be elected. Akpabio believes money is everything, but the lawmakers should let him know that money is not everything by rejecting him. He has bragged several times he buy the office of the Senate president from the President elect and senators-elect. He must not be allowed to do so.”Offiong said.
