Melaye, Akpabio trade tackles during screening

A nominee of President Muhammadu Buhari found time to settle old scores with a senator during his screening at the Senate Wednesday.

Former Sen. Godswill Akpabio had been poked at by Sen. Dino Melaye after Akpabio lost his re-election back to the Senate on Feb 23.

Melaye praised Akwa Ibom Gov. Emmanuel Udom for making it impossible for Akapbio to return to Senate.

We will now be meeting on the streets of Abuja, Melaye tweeted after the election.

But Akpabio is in the list of 43 Ministerial nominees submitted to the Senate by Buhari on Tuesday, and he appeared among others before he upper house Wednesday.

He had to seize the moment.

“I remember when one of my younger brothers here told me that we’ll now be meeting on the streets Abuja,” he told the house.

“But His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari has made it possible for me to come here and stand before you.”

He thereafter took a bow, as Sen. President Ahmed Lawan ruled in favour of former senators amongst the nominees,  and left.

Akpabio, a stalwart of the PDP, fell out of favour when he defected to the APC long before the 2019 general election—because the PDP refused to back him against Gov. Udom, his godson that just grew uncontrollable.