Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Thursday dismissed calls for his resignation over allegations of sexual harassment made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), vowing not to bow to pressure or blackmail.
Speaking during plenary, Akpabio responded after Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele reaffirmed the Senate’s support for him and rejected calls for his resignation based on what he described as “frivolous allegations.”
“Who told you I was going to step down? I am not one of those who resign over false allegations,” Akpabio said. “We’ve seen people imprisoned for 25 years over false accusations. When it’s eventually found to be false, people just say it was a mistake. I won’t step down, and if anyone had that in mind, cancel it.”
Akpabio also addressed comments made by Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, who had criticised the Senate’s proposed national security summit during a press briefing on Wednesday, describing it as unnecessary and advocating instead for a change in strategy to tackle insecurity.
The Senate President cautioned the minister against airing disagreements in public and hinted that Badaru could be summoned by the Senate to explain his remarks.
“If the Defence Minister has issues with Senate resolutions, he should engage directly with the leadership, not address them in public,” Akpabio said. “This could lead to unnecessary tension between the executive and legislature.”
He noted that the Senate would formally take up the matter at the appropriate time.
Earlier, Senate Leader Bamidele defended the Senate’s decision to organise the security summit, expressing disappointment over the minister’s public dismissal of the initiative.
“We were elected to be criticised, and we accept that. But such criticism should not be rooted in falsehood,” Bamidele said. “For the Minister of Defence to dismiss a security summit convened by elected representatives of the people is troubling.”
He stressed that national security was a top priority for the 10th Senate and urged the defence minister to cooperate with lawmakers when the summit is convened.
“We have a president who understands the importance of working with parliament,” Bamidele added. “When it’s time to hold the summit, the minister should honour our invitation and be eager to participate.”
Nzubechukwu Eze.
