Gosdswill Akpabio
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has moved to quell growing controversy over reports that he promised to secure senatorial tickets for lawmakers who lost out in recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections, insisting that his remarks were misrepresented.
In a strongly worded clarification issued on Saturday, Akpabio distanced himself from claims that he had guaranteed automatic return tickets for affected senators, describing the reports as misleading and inaccurate.
The Senate President’s reaction comes amid heightened political tension within the ruling party following the outcome of several primary elections that left some serving lawmakers uncertain about their political future.
According to the statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, Akpabio merely expressed sympathy for senators adversely affected by the primaries and assured them that the APC leadership was working to address grievances arising from the exercise.
The statement stressed that the Senate President neither made nor authorized any promise regarding the allocation of senatorial tickets.
“What the President of the Senate actually said was to empathize with senators who were affected negatively by the outcome of their primary elections,” the statement noted.
It added that Akpabio informed his colleagues that the party’s internal mechanisms were already addressing concerns raised by aggrieved aspirants and that the final list of candidates would emerge in accordance with the APC constitution and electoral guidelines.
The clarification appears aimed at preventing fresh controversy within the ruling party, especially at a time when political stakeholders are closely watching developments ahead of the next phase of the electoral process.
The Senate President reaffirmed his commitment to party discipline and due process, emphasizing that he would neither interfere with the autonomous processes of the APC nor make commitments outside the powers of the National Assembly leadership.
Beyond the issue of party primaries, Akpabio also weighed in on growing calls for the Senate to investigate the military over recent security challenges across the country.
The Senate President cautioned against launching a public legislative probe of the Armed Forces at a time when troops are engaged in intensive operations against terrorism, banditry and other security threats.
While acknowledging that legislative oversight remains a constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly, he argued that public hearings and investigations could undermine the morale of security personnel and distract ongoing military operations.
According to him, the current security situation requires cooperation and strategic engagement rather than what he described as a public “legislative inquisition.”
The statement maintained that confidential engagements between lawmakers and security agencies would be more productive and less disruptive to ongoing efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability.
Akpabio’s position is expected to generate debate within political and security circles, particularly among lawmakers and civil society groups advocating greater accountability from security institutions amid persistent insecurity in parts of the country.
The Senate President, however, insisted that oversight responsibilities would continue to be exercised responsibly and in a manner that supports national security objectives rather than undermining them.
He also urged journalists and media organizations to seek clarification from his office before publishing reports attributed to him, warning against sensational interpretations capable of creating unnecessary political tension.
The twin clarifications underscore Akpabio’s effort to navigate two sensitive national issues—internal APC disputes and the debate over military accountability—at a time when both subjects remain at the centre of national discourse.