Akpabio denies promising tickets to senators who lost APC primaries

Godswill Akpabio, the President of the Senate, has denied reports that he promised to secure senatorial tickets for lawmakers who lost in the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, saying his remarks were misinterpreted.

The clarification came amid growing speculation over comments he made earlier in the week, which many interpreted as an assurance that affected senators could still regain their tickets before the final list of candidates is released.

In a statement issued on Saturday by Eseme Eyiboh,  his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Akpabio said he neither made nor authorised any promise to secure tickets for senators who lost their party primaries.

“The attention of the Office of the President of the Senate has been drawn to misleading reports circulating in sections of the media suggesting that the President of the Senate has promised to secure senatorial tickets for senators who lost their party primaries,” the statement said.

“We must categorically assert that this report does not reflect the position of the President of the Senate. For the record, Senator Akpabio has neither made nor authorized to be made such promise.”

The statement follows remarks made by Akpabio on the Senate floor on Tuesday after lawmakers resumed plenary from a three-week recess during which political parties conducted their primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

At the session, Akpabio congratulated senators who secured their parties’ tickets but acknowledged the disappointment of those who lost.

“I know that there will always be victories and disappointments, yet above every individual triumph stands a greater triumph, the triumph of democracy itself,” he said.

He added, “And in this Senate, we are promised that we will have very few disappointments. And I do know that the Senate leader and the leadership of the Senate is working very hard towards that. So in advance, I will say congratulations to all of us across party lines.”

The remarks sparked widespread speculation that the Senate leadership was working to help some lawmakers recover tickets lost during the primaries.

Reports indicate that about 40 of the 105 serving senators failed to secure nominations to return to the National Assembly in 2027.

However, Akpabio’s office said his comments were intended only to express sympathy for affected lawmakers and reassure them that the APC leadership was handling grievances arising from the exercise.

“What the President of the Senate actually said, in the course of interacting with his colleagues, was to empathize with senators who were affected negatively by the outcome of their primary elections,” the statement said.

“He assured them that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, 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.”

The Senate President further stressed that he would not interfere in the party’s internal processes.

“Senator Akpabio remains committed to party discipline, due process, and the internal mechanisms of the APC for resolving disputes,” the statement said.

“He will not interfere with the autonomous processes of the party or make commitments that are outside the purview of the National Assembly leadership.”

The statement also addressed reports suggesting that Akpabio supported calls for a public legislative probe of the military over recent security failures across the country.

While acknowledging that legislative oversight is a constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly, the Senate President argued that a public inquiry into the activities of the Armed Forces at this time could be counterproductive.

“While legislative oversight is a constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly, Senator Akpabio’s position is that this is not the opportune moment for a public probe of the Armed Forces,” the statement said.

“At a time when our troops are engaged on multiple fronts against terrorism, banditry and other threats to national security, subjecting the military to a public legislative inquisition could undermine their morale and operational focus.”

Akpabio said the Senate would continue to exercise its oversight powers but favoured engagement with security agencies away from the public glare.

“The Senate President believes strongly that support, collaboration and closed-door engagements with security agencies are more productive at this critical time,” the statement added.

“Oversight will be exercised responsibly, without creating distractions that embolden adversaries or divert attention from the urgent task of securing Nigeria and its people.”

Akpabio’s clarification on military oversight follows calls by Adams Oshiomhole for the Senate to conduct a comprehensive audit of defence spending amid worsening insecurity.

During debate on the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State on June 3, Oshiomhole argued that the National Assembly had repeatedly passed resolutions on insecurity without assessing their implementation.

He urged lawmakers to scrutinise military expenditure and operational effectiveness, saying, “If the armed forces are not accountable, and we fail to conduct proper oversight of the resources appropriated for security, then we cannot continue.

He also called for a security audit covering defence spending, procurement procedures and operational performance.

Oshiomhole’s proposal received support from Sani Musa, who questioned why insecurity persists despite defence consistently receiving one of the largest allocations in the federal budget.

However, the proposal failed to secure sufficient backing on the Senate floor and was dropped, with the Senate ultimately adopting its resolutions on the Oyo abductions without any provision for a formal probe of military spending.

His office urged the media and members of the public to disregard what it described as inaccurate interpretations of his remarks and seek clarification when necessary.

“Senator Akpabio urges the media and the public to disregard sensational and inaccurate misrepresentation of his remarks and to always seek clarification from his office before publication,” the statement said.