Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio is suspicious of him and would exclude him from the Senate if he had the opportunity.
Speaking on the Sunday edition of MIC ON PODCAST, the former Edo State governor said Akpabio harbours an unfounded bias against him despite his role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his contributions to President Bola Tinubu’s election victory.
“Everybody in the Senate knows that if Senator Akpabio had his way, he would lock me out of the Senate because he has misled himself into thinking that I am probably the devil he knows,” Oshiomhole said.
He also claimed that many senators were dissatisfied with Akpabio’s leadership style, predicting that future leadership arrangements in the upper chamber would differ significantly from the current one.
According to Oshiomhole, senators have been grumbling over the Senate President’s approach to leadership, although lawmakers have continued to manage their differences.
The senator further alleged that Akpabio becomes uncomfortable whenever he interacts with certain colleagues. He cited an instance involving Senator Abdulaziz Yari, whom he claimed was told by the Senate President that seeking the position of Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior amounted to plotting to remove him from office.
Oshiomhole maintained that the Senate President remains “first among equals” and that leadership positions in the Red Chamber are determined by the collective will of senators.
The remarks come amid tensions in the Senate following Oshiomhole’s recent comments describing the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) as “a bunch of criminals and thieves.”
Last week, the Senate distanced itself from the remarks, insisting they represented Oshiomhole’s personal views and not those of the Red Chamber.
The Senate also clarified that no committee has the authority to issue or execute a warrant of arrest without complying with the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act and obtaining the approval of the Senate President.
Efforts to get a reaction from Akpabio’s media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.