Akpabio denies promising APC tickets to defeated Senators

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has dismissed reports suggesting that he promised automatic senatorial tickets to lawmakers who lost during the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections, describing the claims as misleading and a distortion of his remarks.

Akpabio’s clarification followed widespread interpretations of comments he made while addressing senators upon their return from a three-week legislative recess and the Eid-el-Kabir holiday break.

During the session, the Senate President had acknowledged concerns arising from the outcome of the APC primaries and hinted that efforts were being made to minimize political disappointments among serving lawmakers affected by the exercise.

“And in this senate, we are promised that we will have very few disappointments. And I do know that the senate leader and the leadership of the senate are working very hard towards that,” Akpabio had said.

However, in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, the Senate President clarified that he neither made nor authorized any promise regarding the allocation of party tickets to senators who were unsuccessful in the primaries.

According to the statement, Akpabio’s remarks were intended solely to express sympathy and solidarity with lawmakers adversely affected by the outcome of the APC nomination process.

The statement explained that the Senate President merely reassured his colleagues that the leadership of the APC was actively working to address concerns generated by the primaries and that the party’s final list of candidates would be released in accordance with its constitution and electoral guidelines.

“What the President of the Senate actually said, in the course of interacting with his colleagues, was to empathize with senators who were affected negatively by the outcome of their primary elections,” the statement noted.

“He assured them that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress is actively working to address all issues arising from the primaries and that the final list of candidates will be released in due course in line with the party’s constitution and electoral guidelines.”

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Akpabio emphasized his commitment to party discipline, due process, and respect for the internal mechanisms of the APC, insisting that he would not interfere in the party’s affairs or make commitments beyond the constitutional powers of the National Assembly leadership.

The clarification comes amid heightened political discussions following the APC primaries, which saw at least 14 serving senators lose their bids for renomination across various states.

The Senate President also used the statement to address reports linking him to comments made by a senator who reportedly called for a legislative investigation into recent security incidents involving the Nigerian military.

While reaffirming the constitutional oversight responsibilities of the National Assembly, Akpabio argued that a public investigation into the armed forces at this time could be counterproductive, given the ongoing security challenges confronting the country.

According to him, the military is currently engaged in multiple operations against terrorism, banditry, insurgency, and other threats to national security, requiring sustained support rather than public scrutiny that could affect operational effectiveness.

“While legislative oversight is a constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly, Senator Akpabio’s position is that this is not the opportune moment for a public probe of the Armed Forces,” the statement said.

“At a time when our troops are engaged on multiple fronts against terrorism, banditry and other threats to national security, subjecting the military to a public legislative inquisition could undermine their morale and operational focus.”