Declare Akpabio’ seat vacant, R-APC tells Saraki

The Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC) has asked Senate President Bukola Saraki to declare the seat of Godswill Akpabio, former minority of the upper legislative chamber, vacant.

In a statement on Sunday, Kassim Afegbua, spokesman of the R-APC, said Akpabio’s seat has become vacant in line with section 68 of the constitution because there is no division in the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

“We are calling on the senate president to invoke the provisions of section 68 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) in declaring the seat of Senator Godswill Akpabio vacant,” the statement read.

“It is not on record that there is division in the opposition PDP, hence this declaration will be a step in the right direction.”

Afegbua said the All Progressives Congress (APC) senators are “hell bent” on removing Saraki on Tuesday when the national assembly resumes to consider the supplementary budget for the 2019 elections.

“By this statement, the national working committee of the R-APC wishes to alert the public that the factional leadership of the All Progressives Congress Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has perfected plans to make the Tuesday, August 14th resumption date another kettle of fish for the illegal impeachment of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki,” he said.

The spokesman also called on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to sack Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP), who has incompetence.”

Afegbua wondered how the police would exonerate themselves from the blockade of the national assembly last week.

“We are also calling on the acting president to sack the current Inspector-general of policd who has shown a manifest incompetence in the discharge of his responsibilities,” he said.

“We are calling for an independent judicial investigation panel made of eminent Jurists to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the failed political coup d’etat that clearly undermined the legislature as an arm of government, and also the invasion of the private residences of judges, siege on the residences of the senate president and his deputy.

“Getting the police to do the job is to exonerate the police bearing in mind their earlier siege on the residences of the senate president and deputy senate president barely a week earlier.”