Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed reports alleging that he promised senatorial tickets to lawmakers who lost during the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections.
The controversy stemmed from remarks Akpabio made while welcoming senators back from a three-week recess and the Eid-el-Kabir holiday on Tuesday. During his address, he acknowledged concerns arising from the APC primaries and suggested that efforts were underway to minimise political setbacks for affected lawmakers.
“We are promised that we will have very few disappointments. I do know that the Senate Leader and the leadership of the Senate are working very hard towards that,” Akpabio had said.
However, in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, the Senate President clarified that his comments had been misrepresented.
According to the statement, Akpabio neither promised nor authorised any assurance of automatic tickets for senators who were unsuccessful in the party’s primaries. Rather, he said his remarks were intended to express sympathy and solidarity with colleagues affected by the outcome of the exercise.
The statement explained that Akpabio merely reassured the lawmakers that the leadership of the APC was actively addressing concerns arising from the primaries and that the party’s final list of candidates would be released in accordance with its constitution and electoral guidelines.
“What the President of the Senate actually said was to empathise with senators who were affected negatively by the outcome of their primary elections,” the statement noted.
“He assured them that the leadership of the 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.”
Akpabio also reaffirmed his commitment to party discipline, due process, and respect for the internal mechanisms of the APC, stressing that he would not interfere in the party’s decision-making processes or make commitments beyond the authority of the National Assembly leadership.
The clarification comes amid growing reactions following the APC primaries, which saw 14 serving senators lose their bids across various states.
