DON’T POLITICIZE CALLS FOR OPEN INVESTIGATION, SARAKI WARNS AKPABIO

Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has described as “cheap politics and trivialising of a serious issue” the claim by incumbent Senate President, Godswill Akpabio that the call on him to ensure that transparent and open process is instituted to investigate the accusation levelled against him by one of his colleagues, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is an attempt to remove a Niger Delta person from office.

Saraki, in a statement signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, the head of his media office in Abuja, urged Akpabio to read his press statement dated March 1st, 2025 very well to understand that there was nowhere he suggested the resignation of the Senate President.

“The attention of the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office has been drawn to the statement made by Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio while addressing the leaders of some “youth ethnic groups” on Friday that certain individuals from Kwara and Adamawa States want him removed because he is from the Niger Delta region.”

“Dr. Saraki in his last comment on the Akpabio-Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan crisis never called on the Senate President to resign or step aside. Rather, he urged the Senate President to be conscious of the fact that perception is reality and therefore he should avoid treating the allegations by the Senator in a manner that will create the perception that the Senate as an institution is trying to cover up issues bothering on sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and abuse of office.”

In another statement posted on his (Saraki’s) X handle on Sunday, the former Senate President lamented that ordinarily, he would have ignored the statement as a sign of the times in which we now live, adding that the underlying motive of politicising and trivialising a serious issue that threatens the integrity, credibility, and importance of the legislature was the reason why we thought he should not allow the Senate President to create a misleading impression of the issue at stake in the all-important institution that the National Assembly represents in our democracy.

“This issue is definitely not one in which Akpabio should exploit ethnic sentiments, political division, or regional proclivity. This will neither be in his own interest or that of the institution over which he is presiding. He should face reality on ground and do what is right.”

The statement added that, “Dr. Saraki is of the firm belief that his suggestions are for the benefit of the legislative institution. So, he will repeat the same suggestion no matter where the Senate President comes from and whichever party he belongs to. It is not because the incumbent is a member of the APC, that the former Senate President is from the PDP or that the former is from the South-South zone while the latter is from the North Central zone. Far from it. It is disingenuous and crude to describe Dr. Saraki’s comment along those primordial lines.”

He urged Senator Akpabio to act in the best interest of the legislative institution by ensuring that no reasonable person is left with any doubt about the fact that the allegations raised by the Senator were investigated and justifiably dispensed with.