By Akpan Jeremiah, Uyo
The 10th Senate, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio has spoiled the Senate via his lackadaisical attitude as the most drowsy Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of all time.
Since his inception as the Senate President on 13th June, 2024, Akpabio has taken the 10th Senate to the lowest of low via his careless utterances, behavior and several unconstitutional modus operandi which most times goes against Senate Standing Rules and Order.
For lack of trust of his colleagues and fear of impeachment, Senator Akpabio via the Senate Leader, Bamidele Opeyemi, changed the Senate Standing Rules, that first time senators were no longer qualified to contest for the seat of the president of the Senate, not minding the number of years the senator has spent in the House of Representative.
Ranking and experienced Senators who have been in the Senate for a while, were given mushroom or class D committees, as a witch hunt for not supporting Akpabio during the Senate President tussle. This singular act of Akpabio has disorganized the orderliness and the aged long hierarchical respect that has been the practice of the Senate over the years.
Senators he made Chairmen or Chairpersons of Committees, he doesn’t give them the free hands to run these committees they way they ought to, rather he runs these committees from behind as his personal business. Being so autocratic and selfish, Akpabio makes sure all the committee Chairmen report to him against their will.
All the Senate Committee Retreat, Akpabio mandated they were hosted in Akwa Ibom, else, the money for the retreat and all logistics won’t be released for the respective committees.
Nigerians both home and abroad are questioning why senators aren’t revolting against this tyrannical style of leadership instituted by Akpabio, where he runs a one-man-show.
Aware that seventy per cent (70%) of the 10th Senate, are first time senators hence, most of them are still new and are privy of the operations and standing rules of the Senate. They’re learning on the job, hence, the moral to bring Akpabio to book hasn’t been initiated and achieved.
Calls across board have confirmed that Akpabio has failed and isn’t capable of leading the hallowed Red Chamber as the president.
Recently, Social Media on X went ablaze for the derogatory statement made on the person of Senator Natasha Akpoti, where Akpabio said, “Senators aren’t allowed to stand or speak, until they’re recognized by the presiding officer, the Senate isn’t a night club.”
This inflammatory comments from Akpabio raised heated inferno and severe criticisms on the internet, where people said Akpabio doesn’t respect his female colleagues. So many Civil Society Organizations, Women and Civil Rights groups led the campaign on X mounting pressure on Akpabio to publicly apologize to Senator Natasha, else he should step aside as the president of the Senate.
This led to the publication of Akpabio, his wife, his side chicks, Nnadi Shontel and Calabar Snatcher numbers on X. People on X were told to occupy and inundate them with plethora of calls. It was revealed by Gistlover that Akpabio has so many concubines he spends lavishly on with public funds.
Gistlover blog trended that so many celebrities and actresses like Ini Edo, Nancy Isime, Dakore Egbuson, Guiness Book of Record Winner chef Hilda Baci, Nwanneka, etc were also Akpabio’s side chicks.
“it’s a very long list. Mr Akpabio doesn’t like to use protections, so he has a special doctor he sends his new recruits to, for HIV and other safety tests, before consumption. Mr Akpabio sexually exploits them creatively, from orgies to threesomes etc.” Gistlover asserted.
However, GistLover is yet to provide evidence to back up their claims. But ordinary citizens are suggesting that, the bloggers are not far from the truth.
Senator Ireti Kingibe is another female senator that has suffered unwarranted disrespect from Akpabio on many occasions at the floor of the Senate.
Senator Ireti has complained about the way FCT Minister Wike, doesn’t carry her along in making decisions concerning the FCT, where she is the sole senator representing Abuja, the seat of power.
Co-operating with the FCT Minister, Akpabio told Wike not to mind Sen. Ireti, that whatever they decide in the Senate she will follow.
The supplementary budget for Abuja brought by Wike to the Senate for approval wasn’t done in the knowledge of Senator Ireti who is the senator representing FCT. Such an affront on her just because she is a woman was supported by Akpabio.
Akpabio ruled her out of order by technically raising Order 10 of the Senate standing rules which states that a senator must have shared hard copies of the motion to all the senators in the chamber before rising to lead the debate.
In another motion raised by Senator Ireti, titled, “Urgent Government intervention for Shop owners in Karu Market Fire Mishap” where Ireti made a case for these helpless shop owners whose shops got burnt in one of the prayers, which read; “urge the Federal Government via the FCDA and AMAC to rebuild the market and hand it over to the rightful owners”. Akpabio made a joke of this prayer and said the Federal Government can’t build a market and hand it over to the masses for free.
Thinking that no senator will second the amended prayers made by Senator Ireti, Akpabio asked for a ‘seconder.’ Senator Natasha Akpoti rose to support the prayer and noted that what’s the government without the people, that the government exists because the people support them. So, Senator Natasha faulted Akpabio’s rash response to the prayer.
These and many more are the gaffes of Akpabio and he won’t stop taking the Senate to the mud anytime soon, unless he is stopped by courageous senators who need to rise in defense of the rights and well-being of the masses.
