Why Akpabio won’t react to Atiku’s corruption, sexual abuse allegations – Aide

Eseme Eyiboh, media aide to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has said his principal respects ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and will, therefore, not respond to Atiku’s claim of corruption and sexual abuse against him.

Eyiboh stated this in an interview with The PUNCH on Thursday.

He was asked for his principal’s reaction to Atiku’s claim in a recent media interview that Akpabio is corrupt.

Atiku, during an interview with journalist Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie on Untold Stories, described Akpabio as a corrupt politician and accused him of having a habit of abusing women.

When asked if he was surprised by the National Assembly’s endorsement of the state of emergency imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu, Atiku responded, “I was not surprised because I know that the leadership is corrupt, and I have no apologies for that. They could do anything.”

“The Senate President is actually known for having that type of character, even when he was a governor. He (Akpabio) was not only corrupt as a governor, but he was also in the habit of abusing women. Akpabio is corrupt, not only is he corrupt, he has the habit of abusing women,” Atiku emphasised.

Asked for his principal’s reaction on Thursday, Akpabio’s media aide responded” “Is Atiku the proper person to discuss corruption in Nigeria, from your knowledge of history? So what is his history when it comes to corruption? Is he the proper person to take us on that? Anyway, my principal wouldn’t want to engage him on that issue.

“The Senate President doesn’t respond like that. He’s the former Vice President of Nigeria and we are giving him that respect. So, no matter what he does, we cannot go to the dustbin to fight or start debating with him on such an issue.”

Eyiboh said as number three citizen in Nigeria, Akpabio was too preoccupied with important national issues to be debating with Atiku.

He said, “The Senate President is the number three man in this country and his primary responsibility is about the preservation of the country’s sovereignty and respect to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So he will not be able to go to the street to join issues with anybody.”

However, the Coalition for United Political Parties and the Peoples Democratic Party have backed  Atiku’s claim that the National Assembly, led by Akpabio, is corrupt.

The PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, backed Atiku, emphasising that the former Vice President does not speak recklessly.

He stated, “Atiku Abubakar is not a man known for careless talk. He is one Nigerian who is open to acknowledging or affirming the fact that he does not speak recklessly. I am fully aware that before he made these comments about the National Assembly, he would have much of it on record, publicly, in time. He has his facts and evidence.

“Akpabio has been involved in one scandal too many. While he has been defending himself—which is a fact—there have been many stories about his tenure in Akwa Ibom State when he was governor. We are also seeing some of his speeches, such as one where he was talking about sending a prayer to lawmakers’ email. We all know what he was alluding to.

“All of these are part of corruption. To dispute his actions, either financially or morally, the man (Atiku) is not incompetent enough to question the character of a Nigerian.”

Similarly, CUPP Publicity Secretary, Mark Adebayo, stated that the swift approval of President Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers State indicated that the National Assembly was compromised.

He stated, “Everything that happened in Rivers State regarding the state of emergency declared by the President was not only illegal but also unconstitutional, immoral, and condemnable. It is very reprehensible in its totality. So, the National Assembly, as we have known, is essentially a rubber stamp.

“As a matter of fact, I can call it a devilish and evil rubber stamp. We don’t have a National Assembly. There are a lot of allegations, a lot of suspicion about inducement. I don’t have the facts, so I cannot categorically say that they were induced. But what’s the deal? Either they were induced, or they were silenced into acquiescence by the President. I think they were overwhelmed by the power of the federal authorities, the so-called federal might.

“So, either they were induced or they were overwhelmed by the federal might, or a combination of the two. In the history of this country, there is no way the lawmakers could say they didn’t collect something. It’s either they collected money to compromise the legislative process, or they were promised something. That thing was not done based on patriotism or law. What has happened in Rivers State is a contradiction. It’s an invitation to anarchy. It’s an invitation to another military takeover. So, that’s it. Whether in kind or cash, they collected something; they got somsomething.”

The LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, called on the National Assembly to be mindful of the public’s perception of the Green and Red Chambers.

Ifoh urged lawmakers to improve their performance when carrying out their constitutional duties.

He stated, “It’s about the public perception of the National Assembly and what they are doing, how the public perceives some of their actions and inactions. And it’s for the public to take a position on that, not for us as a party because you also know that we have my members in the National Assembly.

“I think they can do better than what they are doing, especially in the way they conduct themselves, their affairs, and activities in the National Assembly. If they can come out better in such a way that people will not see them as corrupt. It’s not about me; it’s about how people see them.

“And I am sure they can do things better in a proper way so that Nigerians can see them as a National Assembly that they can be proud of. But for now, I think the morale of Nigerians is down, and many Nigerians think that they are not living up to expectations.”