Can Akpabio Resolve Growing Discontent?

BRIEFINGNOTES

Despite the assurance given by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio that there was no crisis in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, last Tuesday’s walkout from the plenary by the Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, who was Akpabio’s ardent supporter was a strong indication of the lawmakers’ growing discontent with the Senate leadership, Ejiofor Alike reports

In an apparent effort to play down the growing tension in the Senate, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio last Wednesday told the State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu that there was no crisis in the legislature.

“We are all working in one accord. There is no problem at all. Even if some people disagree with some of the happenings in the Senate, it is only the majority decision that is going to prevail,” he reportedly noted.

“In the parliament, sometimes you disagree. But we will never get to the point of throwing chairs. The Senate is too mature, full of mature people,” Akpabio added.

But signs that even Akpabio’s key supporters are becoming discontented with his leadership style emerged on Tuesday, when his campaign manager during the election of the leaders of the National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume stormed out of the Senate chambers during plenary to protest Akpabio’s refusal to address what the Borno senator described as procedural errors.

Ndume, who is the Senate Chief Whip, was a key supporter of Akpabio, when the former Akwa Ibom State governor contested for the position with a former governor of Zamfara State and Senator representing Zamfara West, Abdul’Aziz Abubakar Yari.

Explaining his support for the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Ndume had alluded to the fact that Akpabio was not necessarily the choice of the federal lawmakers but President Bola Tinubu’s preferred choice.

“As you can see, I am leading the campaign for Akpabio because he is the president’s preferred candidate and we have to push for the country and the party above any other interest,” Ndume reportedly said.

Indeed, it took the personal intervention of President Tinubu at the last minute for Akpabio to defeat Yari.

No sooner had Akpabio emerged as Senate President than tension started brewing at the upper chamber as many lawmakers were said to be displeased with the appointment of principal officers.

Ndume, it was learnt, was said to be interested in the position of Senate leader but was given Chief Whip.

Ndume was to publicly disagree with Akpabio on the alleged huge disparity in the disbursement of a loan to six geo-political regions in 2021 by the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), in what turned out to be the first rowdy session in the Red Chamber.

The Borno senator had insisted that it was unfair and morally wrong that the entire Northern region was given only 11 per cent, while only Lagos State got 47 per cent of the loan, adding that his home state of Borno, got just one per cent.

Trouble started after Akpabio rejected Ndume’s motion to debate the alleged uneven distribution of the loan by the DBN.

Last Tuesday’s disagreement between Ndume and Akpabio started minutes after the commencement of the day’s session when the Borno South senator raised a point of order to draw the Senate President’s attention to alleged procedural errors committed by him which were yet to be corrected.

Ndume cited a motion on the need for re-opening of Nigeria-Niger border, which was moved by Senator Sumaila Kawu (NNPP, Kano South), which Akpabio allowed to be debated without first having the official title of the motion read as the normal procedure.

Relying on Order 51 of the Senate Standing Rules, Ndume had requested that the Senate President should allow for the correction of any error made or observed during plenary.

But Akpabio had hardly allowed Ndume to end his speech when he ruled him out of order, saying since he had ruled on issues raised, it could not be revisited

However, another Senator, Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West), rose in defence of Ndume’s point of order by raising another point of order. He was equally ruled out of order by the Senate president.

Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, in an attempt to douse tension, had quickly raised Order 16, which requires a substantive motion to be moved by any senator seeking to correct or review an earlier decision taken.

Akpabio sustained this order and this angered Ndume, who quickly raised another point of order, specifically, Order 54 to seek correction of the perceived error.

But Akpabio again, ruled him out of order without allowing him to exhaust his line of argument

At this point, Ndume picked up his belongings and stormed out of the Senate chamber

Ndume’s action led the Senate to quickly dissolve into a closed session.

The current tension started brewing in the upper chamber before the Senate resumed from its long vacation in September.

This followed an allegation that there were moves to impeach the Senate President over his alleged insensitivity to the demands of senators, sidelining of some ranking senators in the headship of committees, his being President Tinubu’s rubber stamp and his alleged unsavoury role during the screening and confirmation of ministerial nominees in August

Reports had stated that plans were underway to unseat Akpabio when the Senate reconvened on September 26, 2023.

According to the reports, two prominent senators from the North-west and other senators were already mapping out plans to carry out the plot.

These reports had prompted the Senate President’s media office to issue a statement dismissing the speculation as a figment of the imagination of the authors.

However, the lawmaker representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, Senator Ishaku Abbo, who was sacked by the Appeal Court on Monday, issued a statement on behalf of some northern senators accusing Akpabio’s office of disseminating the story about the rumored plan to impeach him.

Abbo further added that the narrative was purportedly orchestrated by the Senate President to create discord between President Tinubu and northern politicians.

Abbo accused Akpabio of sidelining his opponents in the constitution of standing committees.

Expressing his frustration, the then Adamawa lawmaker said: “You cannot treat us as conquered people and then return to manipulate us with planted and paid newspaper reports to set us against the President.”

Abbo also claimed that the 10th Senate was the most condescending parliament. He further referred to the screening of ministerial nominees, where the Senate President allegedly sought clearance for certain nominees at the Villa.

Akpabio had also provoked the ire of senators when he announced that the National Assembly Clerk had disbursed funds to all senators to enable them to enjoy their holiday.

However, he quickly withdrew the statement after deliberating with some of his colleagues, saying instead “prayers had been sent to mailboxes of respective senators.”

With last Tuesday’s drama, Nigerians are anxious to see how Akpabio can resolve this growing discontent with his leadership style.