The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has reacted to calls for him to step down and allow for proper investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against him by suspended Kogi Central Senator (PDP), Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Senator Akpabio, while reacting to remarks by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Bamidele Opeyemi, which urged fellow Senators to allow for due process over the issue, said he would not step down and would not buckle under pressure.
“I’m sure you know, sir, that those who felt that by now this Senate would have asked you to step down, have seen now that we are focused on what we are doing. And at whatever the level of allegation against any one of us, we will always ask for evidence and we will do what is in overriding public interest. I just want to thank you and I thank all our colleagues,” Senator Opeyemi said.
Recall, the Kogi born Senator had prior to her suspension submitted a petition alleging she had been sexually harassed by the senate president.
Responding to Opeyemi, the Senate President said, “I did not want to answer you, but for the fact that you said those who would have asked you to step down, who told you I was going to step down?
You know, if you watch the color of America, there are black people because of their skins who went to prison, in some 25 years for false allegations. So I’m not one of those people who step down for false. Then when eventually it is proven that the allegation, they will say, oh, well, I’m fed up, you know.
I’m not that bad. So if you had that in mind, please cancel it. So having said that, I must thank you for the words that you have spoken today.”
Speaking further, the Leader of the Senate, “I was elected into office to be criticized. We are not opposed to that. But when people falsify things about us, when people deliberately try to call us out, I don’t know what to do.
“But it’s true. And Mr. President, the tax bills we have just passed is a great example of how we work … We have been focused on trying to start reforms. But let it be noted again that these bills were first presented to us in November of 2024. And we had our first reading in November 2024.
“We want to assure the Nigerian public that having done the second reading, we are going to commit these bills to public hearing. We are working with relevant stakeholders to ensure Mr. President, that we had the first and second reading in November.
I want to emphasize that between our second reading of this bill and today, we have had different engagements with different stakeholders, ranging from the executive arm of government and people in charge of the presidential task force to members of civil society and professional organizations, some of whom took part in our public hearing.
“There have been a series of meetings. There have been a series of engagements. Even as a Senate, we set up our own committee, seasoned senators, who had engaged in various aspects of public life.
“Some had served as governors. Some served as permanent secretaries. And let it also be said that we chose not to grandstand on this.
And the fact that in rounding up yesterday, we spent more than half of the day in a closed-door session. Why are we doing all of this? It is because we recognize that the times for our people, the times are unusual for our country and for the global economy. And we chose to remind ourselves constantly that this is not the time to grandstand.
And that as a parliament, we must do everything possible to cooperate with other arms of government to ensure that we are able to give impetus and the legal framework of governance in this.
“People should not mistake our unintentional decision not to grandstand for being a robust parliament. As some people would be eager to describe us as a parliament.
“So, I just want to say that we believe that we have done what we did in the last six months in overriding public interest. And we are willing to do more. It’s about our midterm in office at the 10th Senate.
And we are focused as to what we are going to spend the rest of our time here doing. We are concerned about the national security of our country.
“And that’s why listening to the Honorable Minister of Defense yesterday, describing as unnecessary our resolution to hold a national security summit, I thought that was funny.
And my only message to the Honorable Minister is that it is a resolved national security summit. Some of the security summits in the past did not go any far.
“Because if the Honorable Minister in charge would even think it was not necessary for us as elected representatives to want to hold this summit, then I’m concerned.
“But we are concerned by the fact that we know that there is a new sheriff in town and an elected president who understands the need to work with the parliament and who will not take for granted the rest of the parliament.
“I therefore say to the Honorable Minister, when it is time to hold a national security summit, you should be eager to honor our invitation. And finally, Mr. President and distinguished colleagues, let me just say that we remain focused.
Having passed the tax reforms, we are moving on to work on electoral reforms. And we are moving on as well to work on constitutional reforms. We are very clear as to our mandate and our agenda.
“And we will remain undistracted and not adopt any form of negative attitude or deliberate shenanigans, which is most politically motivated rather than being an overriding public instructor.
“We will continue to do what we have to do in the interest of the Nigerian people who elected us here. And we are not going to allow anything, not even us distracting ourselves.
“We will come in here as serious people who understand our rules, who will guide ourselves by those rules, who know that we are privileged to be here.
The Senate is an institution and is bigger than any individual. I thank you once again on behalf of all of us.”
