Drama in Senate as Adeyemi Calls Abia Governor Drunkard

By Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu

There was mild drama at the Senate plenary on Tuesday, as Senator Smart Adeyemi representing Kogi West, deviated from chamber rules while contributing to a motion on the urgent need for the restoration and revalidation of the Safe School initiative in Nigeria.
Adeyemi, after making his contribution in support of the motion, changed the topic as he described Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, as a drunkard.

The Chairman of the Senate committee on Aviation who was apparently responding to a social media post linked to the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who is from Abia State, allegedly insulting Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, said Abia state people are unfortunate to be governed by a “champagne-drinking governor”.
Adeyemi while commending some governors in their fight against insecurity, however urged them to do all that they can, because Nigeria is such a large nation that the Federal Government alone cannot police all the schools.
He said, ”Some governors are doing their best in tackling insecurity, we are lucky to have a governor who has taken the issue of security as a serious priority. We are bordered by nine states, but we had an experience of the unfortunate incidents that are happening in neighboring states.
“Some governors are committed to the protection of their people, in my state the governor awarded contracts for the renovations of schools and provides security services to them. In some states of Nigeria today, where we have highly intelligent people, highly educated people, very enterprising people, like Abia, they are governed by drunkards.
”The governor of Abia is a champagne drinking man. Abia people are impoverished more than ever before. Abia people are unfortunate.”
Intervening, the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan cautioned the lawmaker against the use of abusive language.
Reacting, Senate minority leader, Abaribe denied making the statement, Adeyemi made reference to.
Abaribe expressed shock over Adeyemi’s “drunkard” comment and urged him to apologize to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
He said: “Mr President I will like to make a clarification. Unfortunately, what has happened here today is one of the problems that you see on social media. I never made any comments on the governor of Kogi State. Never.
“What has happened is what we see going on today. People write something and tag your name to it. And if you don’t ask question, you will not know whether you actually said it or not. And I see so many things tag to me but I don’t talk. The last time I saw Nuhu Ribadu, I also spoke to him. Something was tag to his name that was very deleterious. I’m very surprised that my good friend and colleague decided to open up on the governor of Abia for something I never said.”