President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has dismissed as misleading media reports claiming that he promised to secure senatorial tickets for lawmakers who lost their party primaries.
In a statement issued weekend by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, Senator Akpabio said he did not make, nor authorize, any such promise.
According to the statement, Akpabio was only empathizing with colleagues affected by the outcome of their primaries during an interaction with them.
“He assured them that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is actively working to address all issues arising from the primaries and that the final list of candidates will be released in due course in line with the party’s constitution and electoral guidelines,” it clarified.
The statement added that Senator Akpabio remains committed to party discipline and due process, and will not interfere with the autonomous processes of the APC or make commitments outside the purview of National Assembly leadership.
It also reacted to another report quoting a Senator on the need for the Senate to publicly probe the military over recent security incidents.
While acknowledging that legislative oversight is a constitutional responsibility, the statement said Akpabio’s position is that “this is not the opportune moment for a public probe of the Armed Forces.”
“At a time when our troops are engaged on multiple fronts against terrorism, banditry and other threats to national security, subjecting the military to a public legislative inquisition could undermine their morale and operational focus,’ it reads.
Akpabio, the statement noted, believes that “support, collaboration and closed-door engagements with security agencies are more productive at this critical time.”
The Senate President said oversight would be exercised responsibly “without creating distractions that embolden adversaries or divert attention from the urgent task of securing Nigeria and its people.”
He urged the media and public to disregard “sensational and inaccurate misrepresentation of his remarks” and to seek clarification from the Senate President’s office before publication.
