Senate President Godswill Akpabio has rejected reports that he promised to secure party tickets for incumbent senators who lost their primaries ahead of the 2027 elections, describing the claims as a misrepresentation of his remarks.
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The denial came through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, in a statement issued yesterday.
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“Senator Akpabio has neither made nor authorized to be made such promise,” the statement read, adding that reports suggesting otherwise “do not reflect the position of the President of the Senate.”
According to the statement, what Akpabio actually said was an expression of empathy toward colleagues who fared poorly in their respective primaries. He had, the statement clarified, merely assured them that the APC leadership was working through internal channels to address grievances arising from the exercise, and that a final list of candidates would be released in due course in accordance with the party’s constitution and electoral guidelines.
“Senator Akpabio remains committed to party discipline, due process, and the internal mechanisms of the APC for resolving disputes,” the statement said. “He will not interfere with the autonomous processes of the party or make commitments that are outside the purview of the National Assembly leadership.”
The statement also addressed a separate report in which a senator called for a legislative probe of the military over recent security incidents. While acknowledging oversight as a constitutional duty of the National Assembly, Akpabio’s office said this was not the right moment for a public inquiry into 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,” the statement said, adding that the Senate President favours closed-door engagements with security agencies over public hearings that could embolden adversaries.
Akpabio’s office urged journalists to seek clarification from his office before publishing remarks attributed to him.
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