Opeyemi Bamide, a Senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District and Leader of the Senate on Tuesday alleged that some lawmakers were plotting to remove Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President before June 13, this year.
Bamidele, who spoke in his capacity as lawmaker representing Ekiti Central during the debate on the claim made by Abdul Ningi on the 2024 budget, confirmed that some Senators were already ganging up against the Senate President.
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The lawmaker, after noting that previous Senate operated peacefully, said few lawmakers rejected the call to work together after Akpabpio won the election as Senate President.
He knocked Ningi for his claims, which he said were tantamount to a Civilian coup.
“We must never accept any apology from Ningi. I pay tribute to Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Ahmed Lawan. They had very peaceful tenures. Over 60 Senators voted for Godswill Akpabio, over 40 voted against, the will of the majority.
“Some got up when election was over and said let’s work together, a few have refused to do this, and that is why it has always been about Akpabio, never about the Senate, never about the House of Representatives, never about the Office of the DG Budget, never about Mr. President who signed this budget. We all passed the budget. It’s always about Akpabio.
“Mr. Presidebt, make no mistake about it, a few people who felt they will not give you more than one year to spend in this chair want to do everything possible before the 13th of June to remove you. And I am telling you Mr. president, and I want Nigerians to know that the last time the people of south South that you represent had a chance of a Senate President was over 40 yrars ago. The last time the entire people of the South had a chance to Senate President was during former President Obasanjo regime when he went to teh South East. It is about Akpabio, it is about the south. You will now understand why Ningi want to use the platform of the Northern Senators forum, even when most of them did not agree to this”, Bamidele said.
He however told his colleagues that the situation at hand presented an opportunity to decide on having a stable Senate, and an opportunity to follow the rules and do the right thing.
Read also: Akpabio says Senate integrity totally damaged by budget padding allegation
“This is a defining moment for all of us to decide if we are going to have a stable Senate. It is not about North and South. It is about rules, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Its about people who are hungry and deprived”, he concluded.
