Akpabio, Oshiomhole publicly declare end to Senate hostilities

A light-hearted exchange between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) on Thursday signalled what both lawmakers described as the end of recent tensions between them, as they publicly declared a truce during plenary.

The development followed Oshiomhole’s complaint that Akpabio had failed to recognise him after he repeatedly raised his hand to contribute to proceedings.

The former Edo State governor jokingly accused the Senate President of violating an earlier agreement reached between them to avoid further hostilities.

“I want to report to this house that the Senate President and I, we signed a truce of no more hostilities.

“And the Senate President breached the truce by reverting to a previous matter with a view to behaving like…” Oshiomhole said amid laughter from lawmakers.

He added, “So I told Mr Senate President, the truce is signed. You should not violate; I will not violate.

“You are my brother. You are my brother. You are my leader. You are my president. So that is all I want to say.”

Although he had sought to invoke a point of order, Oshiomhole later withdrew the move and jokingly appealed to the Senate President to give fair treatment to lawmakers of shorter stature.

“I am not going to read the order I am doing. Order 72, I hereby drop it. Just to say, sir, protect vertically challenged people in the Senate. Thank you, sir,” he said.

The exchange came after Akpabio made a passing reference to an earlier controversy involving Oshiomhole while responding to comments by Onawo Ogoshi during debate.

The Senate President immediately apologised, explaining that the remark was not intended to offend his colleague.

“Let me, first of all, apologise to distinguished Senator Oshiomhole.

“If whatever I said could have in any way injured him or inferred to offend him,” Akpabio said.

He explained that his remarks were made in response to Ogoshi’s reference to an earlier Senate debate concerning the proposed warrant of arrest for former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.

“I was responding to Senator Ogochi when he referred to the issue that we cancelled the proposed warrant of arrest.

“Which at that time, distinguished Senator Oshiomhole said we should bring the man dead or alive,” he said.

Reaffirming their reconciliation, Akpabio declared that the agreement between them would be respected.

“Sorry, we have a truce. No more hostilities. Agreement is agreement.”

He assured the chamber that he would refrain from revisiting past disagreements and pledged to remain impartial in presiding over Senate proceedings.

“I will never refer to the unsenatorial comment of bringing the man dead or alive.

“But I want to assure you that this chair will protect everyone, every single senator,” Akpabio said.

The Senate President described Oshiomhole as a friend, colleague and former governor whom he held in high regard.

“I hold him in very high esteem. And I assure you that agreement is agreement,” he said.

Ending the exchange on a humorous note, Akpabio joked that unlike some countries, he had no intention of abandoning the peace deal shortly after reaching it.

“I will not behave like America and Iran. When they have an agreement today, and two days later they will bomb each other,” he said, drawing laughter across the chamber.

Relations between Akpabio and Oshiomhole had appeared strained in recent months following disagreements over several issues, including debates on proposed amendments to the Senate Standing Rules and Oshiomhole’s opposition to the nomination of Professor Abayomi Fasina as a non-career ambassador over allegations of sexual misconduct.

Earlier, Oshiomhole had also called for Akpabio’s resignation after the amendment of the Senate rule.

Thursday’s exchange, however, suggested both lawmakers had resolved to put their differences behind them.