Akpabio never promised APC tickets to senators who lost primaries — Aide

The office of Nigeria's Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has refuted claims that he pledged senatorial tickets to party members who did not succeed in the recent All Progressives Congress primary elections. Akpabio's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, issued a statement on Saturday, labeling the reports as misleading and a misrepresentation of the Senate President's actual words.

Eyiboh clarified that Akpabio merely expressed sympathy for senators negatively impacted by the primary election outcomes. He assured them that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress is actively working to resolve issues stemming from the primaries, and the final candidate list will be released according to the party's constitution and electoral guidelines. "What the President of the Senate actually said, in the course of interacting with his colleagues, was to empathize with senators who were affected negatively by the outcome of their primary elections," Eyiboh stated.

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What the President of the Senate actually said, in the course of interacting with his colleagues, was to empathise with senators who were affected negatively by the outcome of their primary elections. He assured them that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress is actively working to address all issues arising from the primaries and that the final list of candidates will be released in due course in line with the party’s constitution and electoral guidelines.

Furthermore, the statement addressed reports suggesting Akpabio opposed legislative scrutiny of the military. Eyiboh explained that while legislative oversight is a constitutional duty, Akpabio believes a public probe of the Armed Forces at this critical time could harm the morale of troops engaged in counter-terrorism and anti-banditry operations. The Senate President prefers collaborative, closed-door engagements with security agencies over public hearings that might distract personnel from their duties. "Senator Akpabio’s position is that this is not the opportune moment for a public probe of the Armed Forces," Eyiboh added.

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Senator Akpabio’s position is that this is not the opportune moment for a public probe of the Armed Forces. At a time when our troops are engaged on multiple fronts against terrorism, banditry and other threats to National Security, subjecting the military to a public legislative inquisition could undermine their morale and operational focus.