Speaking during the Sunday edition of Mic On Podcast, the former Edo State governor claimed Akpabio views him with undue suspicion and would exclude him from Senate proceedings if he had the opportunity.
Oshiomhole said he could not explain the reason behind what he described as Akpabio’s disposition toward him despite his longstanding role in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and contributions to President Bola Tinubu’s electoral success.
“Don’t forget that I was a founding governor of the APC and deputy DG of Bola Tinubu Campaign Council that gave us victory. I’m not saying I am responsible for the victory, but I worked for it, and I’m happy we got it,” he said.
The senator alleged that the Senate President had developed an unfavourable perception of him.
“He (Akpabio) is so paranoid about anything that has to do with me. Everybody in the Senate knows that if Senator Akpabio have his way, he will lock me out of the Senate because he has misled himself into thinking that I am probably the devil he knows. There are many angels he doesn’t know,” he said.
Oshiomhole also suggested that dissatisfaction with Akpabio’s leadership style is growing among lawmakers, predicting that the composition and dynamics of the next Senate would be significantly different from the current one.
“The 11th Senate will not be like the 10th, this I can say. It can’t be. Senators are grumbling about his style of leadership. But we try to manage, and I’ve tried to assure him that ‘Look, Mr Senate President, I am a very fulfilled person.’”
He added, “Whatever job I am given to do, I ask God to give me courage and even greater wisdom to do that job to the satisfaction of my constituents. The Senate President’s bias against me is very well known. I will not join in speculating as to the reason for his bias.”
The former Nigeria Labour Congress president further alleged that Akpabio often becomes uneasy whenever he engages in discussions with certain senators.
According to Oshiomhole, the Senate President once joked that Senator Abdulaziz Yari’s interest in serving as vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior was part of a plot to unseat him as Senate President.
He stressed that the office of the Senate President ultimately depends on the support of fellow lawmakers, noting that senators collectively determine who leads the upper chamber.
“If you understand the way the Senate works, the Senate president is first among equals. Only the persons favoured by the senators are elected,” Oshiomhole said.
“Remember, if Senator Yari had got the majority, he could have become the Senate president. It is not about what anybody wishes. It is about who the senators want,” he warned.