Flurry of reactions to impeachment plot against Senate President Akpabio 

During and after Senate plenary on Wednesday this week, a flurry of reactions followed rumoured impeachment plot against Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. TAIYE ODEWALE reports 

Rumoured impeachment plot 

Purported impeachment plot against the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, got into the media space in the early hours of Wednesday, 16th day of October, 2024; through report by an Abuja based online medium.

The online platform in the report entitled:  “DSS Takes Over National Assembly Amid Impeachment Speculations Against Senate President Akpabio”, alleged that the plot was hatched by Senators of Northern extraction and bought into by many of their southern counterparts.

But while the report was trending on the social media space, the Senate was having a very peaceful plenary session presided over by Senator Akpabio himself. 

Reactions on the report 

Apparently worried by the momentum the report gained in the social media space, the President of the Senate made reference to it by describing it as false and laughable.

He said: “The plenary is proceeding smoothly, with lawmakers conducting their affairs, unaware of the rumours being spread on purported impeachment plot against me.

“We are here sitting down and doing our work very peacefully, oblivious of the mischief that is going on behind us.

“This rumour is part of what we go through daily. You see that they use AI to inject something to turn it around in order to drive traffic.

 “I understand that they are being paid by YouTube if they have a lot of traffic. So, whoever brought out this fake news might be getting a lot of payment because of the traffic.

 “But I hope the public is aware that this is total fake news and that the chamber is very stable, and the issue of impeachment does not come in. So, Senator Shehu Kaka, please investigate and report back to us as soon as practicable.”

Other reactions debunking the report

In further debunking the report, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC Ekiti  South), stormed the Senate Press Centre immediately after plenary session, along with the Chairman, Northern Senators’ Forum, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (APC Katsina Central), for emergency media briefing.

At the media briefing, Adaramodu described the report as not only false but satanic from the pit of hell.

His words: ” The fake report was despicable and lie from the pit of hell.

“All the 108 Senators are solidly behind the leadership of the Senate led by the uncommon Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, like the Rock of Gibraltar 

“The allusion that, maybe, the forum of Northern Senators is dissatisfied with the leadership style of Senator Akpabio is very untrue as the Chairman of the forum is here with me to tear such an allusion into pieces.

“There is no cause to even imagine, to even conceptualise, to even insinuate anything near impeachment in the Senate as it has never been conceived, never been generated anywhere, making the social media report a farce, untrue and purely fake news” .

Distancing the Northern Senators’ forum from the report, its Chairman, Senator Yar’Adua said: “We in the the forum are solidly behind the leadership of the Senate headed by Godswill Akpabio. We don’t have anything or heard of anything like this.

“We are here to assure Nigerians that they should do away with such rumours and should most importantly concentrate on the issues that affect our nation and not unfounded rumours.

“We have more important issues to address in the nation and that is what we are doing under the leadership of Godswill Akpabio”.

Few minutes after Senators Adaramodu and Yar’Adua’s rebuttals on the alleged impeachment plot against Akpabio, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon Eseme Eyiboh, issued statement to dismiss the report in its entirety.

The statement reads in part: “Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON, President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, wishes to state without equivocation that the speculation and misinformation circulating about an alleged impeachment plot against him is the handiwork of fifth columnists who are perpetual merchants of misinformation and purveyors of mischief.

“As a head of one of the arms of government, the President of the Senate categorically denies these baseless claims and reaffirms his commitment to transformational leadership of the Senate particularly and effectively collaborates with the other arms of government. 

“There is no crack in the Upper Chamber and no Senator or Caucus is plotting any impeachment against the President of the Senate. Every Senator is focused on raising the bar of legislative agenda and nation building.

“The allegations are nothing but a desperate attempt to create division and discord among the esteemed senators. It’s unfortunate that some individuals would resort to spreading falsehoods to promote the invidious reins of their blackmail enterprise. 

“The Senate President will not be distracted by these unfounded rumours and wants to assure the public that his commitment to Nigeria’s progress remains unwavering.

“We, therefore, urge the public to disregard these baseless claims and instead focus on the meaningful work being done by the Senate to improve the lives of all Nigerians”.

The  rebuttal from the Presidency 

Giving the rebuttal presidential seal, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Senate matters, Senator Basheer Lado in a personally signed statement, said report on alleged impeachment plot against the President of the Senate was baseless and should be disregarded by Nigerians.

The statement titled: “Presidency Committed to Harmonious Working Relationship among Lawmakers in the National Assembly”, reads: ” The attention of this office has been drawn to online reports that security agents have been deployed to prevent senators from carrying out their legislative duties, specifically in relation to an alleged impeachment of the Senate President. 

“I wish to categorically state that these reports are baseless and should be disregarded as there is no discord within the rank and file of the senators. 

“The legislative body remains united in its commitment to the advancement of Nigeria’s democracy. 

“The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in line with his dedication to a harmonious working relationship among the senators, recognises the critical role of the senate in driving legislative progress. 

“His Excellency remains committed to ensuring that this collaboration is based on mutual respect, dialogue, and shared goals for peace, progress and prosperity of all Nigerians.

“The senate continues to function freely and without interference, and any security presence within the National Assembly Complex is for the routine safety and protection of legislators and staff.

“I, therefore, urge the public to disregard such unfounded publications which could undermine the integrity of the legislature”.

Is the smoke without fire? 

As against the popular saying that there is no smoke without fire, the online media report on purported impeachment plot against Akpabio by unnamed Senators, going by the flurry of rebuttals issued against it; may be smoke without fire.

However since the Senate Committee on Special Duties chaired by Senator Shehu Kaka, SAN, has been mandated to probe the report, outcome of such probe, would decide whether the report was smoke without fire or not.