News
Why they are after Akpabio
By Clementina Diaka
In Nigerian politics, loyalty is not merely a virtue—it is a double-edged sword, a cross to bear, and sometimes, a noose. A loyal man will either be praised as a committed ally or seen as an obstacle to someone else’s inordinate ambition. In the latter case, such a man must be “removed.”
This appears to be the case in the ongoing saga between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who initially attributed her removal as Chairman of the Local Content Committee to sexual harassment, has now changed her tone – claiming she was sacked for “protecting Northern interests.”
When one places this narrative side-by-side with the comments of Bukola Saraki, Atiku Abubakar, the Arewa Consultative Forum, and some other Northern elements, the larger play unfolds. This is not an innocent drama of legislative disagreement. It is a carefully choreographed spectacle – replete with villains, pawns, and shadows.
At the heart of it stands Akpabio – a man accused, maligned, and marked. Not because he has broken any law or committed any proven wrong, but because he has stood firm beside President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And for that, he must be brought down.
There is, without question, a gathering of dissenters – former aspirants, serial losers at the ballot, political relics whose time has passed, but whose ambitions remain undimmed. They have no national vision to offer, no coherent philosophy to propose – only a festering grievance and a common enemy: the man who defeated them. Their aim is simple: to seize, through subterfuge and scandal, what they could not secure through the sovereign will of the people. And if power cannot be regained, then the next best thing is to make the country ungovernable.
The first phase of this plot is clear – harass and intimidate Akpabio into abandoning his friendly disposition with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Railroad him into making the Senate antagonistic to the Executive, thus making it impossible for it to deliver democracy dividends, thereby rendering President Tinubu vulnerable as 2027 approaches. In their crosshairs is Akpabio, and Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan appears to be the willing hired gun for the dirty job.
Why Akpabio? Akpabio is perhaps the most visible ally of Tinubu; a formidable defender of the administration due to his belief that the Legislature should cooperate with the Executive to enable it achieve meaningful results. They know that weakening Akpabio loosens the pillars holding up Tinubu’s house. And so, they reach for their weapons – not of war, but of whispers and smear campaigns, sponsored headlines, and strategic falsehoods. Among these, the most visible instrument is Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan – a willing tool for their evil enterprise.
They know that as long as Akpabio remains Senate President, Tinubu’s re-election bid will enjoy solid legislative backing. As Machiavelli put it, “He who guards the throne is more dangerous than he who sits upon it – remove the guardian, and the throne becomes a chair.” Akpabio is a major guardian of the Tinubu throne. Hence, the attacks from all angles.
Pawn in the Political Chess Game
Let us not be beguiled by sentiment. Senator Natasha, in this context, is not a lone voice of justice crying in the wilderness. She is no accidental heroine. She is a pawn in a larger political game – a game devised in the drawing rooms of desperate politicians who, unable to govern Nigeria, now seek to ruin those who do.
The names are not unfamiliar: Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Peter Obi – the trio of ambition, bitterness, and illusion. They lost the 2023 election, not through fraud or manipulation, but through the expressed will of millions of Nigerians. Yet, rather than accept the verdict of democracy, they now seek to dismantle its very instruments. What better place to strike than the Senate? And what better target than its presiding officer?
This is not speculation. Their recent statements, social media antics, and strategic silences at critical moments reveal their hand. Atiku’s viral, unprovoked attack on Akpabio is no coincidence – it is part of the plan.
Natasha is not a loose cannon; she is a guided missile. The game plan is simple: manufacture crises from the most mundane matters, paint key figures as villains, and set the stage for a grand opposition showdown in 2027. Her sudden outburst in the Senate and carefully choreographed media blitz were the cold open of the movie. Now the sequence has been established, and the opening credits are rolling – featuring Bukola Saraki and company.
From a routine seating arrangement – a mundane legislative procedure – Senator Natasha has now conjured accusations of sexual harassment, threats to life, and elaborate conspiracies. The timing of this remembrance, suddenly arising a year after the alleged incident, is not only convenient; it is calculated. A smokescreen. A decoy. An attempt to stain a man’s name in the court of public opinion, where evidence is no longer required, and accusation is guilt enough.
There’s an old legal maxim: Give a dog a bad name and hang it. That, indeed, is what is unfolding. The Atiku-led clique is directing the movie. The volume of money pumped into this needless campaign to lure international media and embarrass the nation is staggering.
One day, it’s alleged insults. The next, sexual harassment. Tomorrow – who knows? Perhaps they’ll say Akpabio plans to auction Nigeria. The strategy is obvious: manufacture offence, amplify it through a compliant media, and weaponise it for political gain. But Nigerians are growing wiser—and wearier.
Even locally, all these unpatriotic efforts to create global embarrassment have yielded nothing. Nigerians are not fools. They know, as all people of discernment do, that justice cannot be built on lies, and democracy cannot thrive on deceit. The cry for accountability rings hollow when it emerges from a place of partisanship, not principle.
If Senator Natasha were truly pursuing justice, would she be flanked only by those with a declared interest in toppling the administration?
The Art of Giving a Dog a Bad Name
According to the ancient Nigerian proverb: “When an owl hoots in the night and a child dies in the morning, we all know who to suspect.” In this case, it is now clear: Natasha was never a bystander. She was a hired agent provocateur sent to destabilise the Red Chamber.
Before the unsuspecting public, a mere seating issue has now mushroomed into a web of accusations – sexual harassment, assassination plots, and shadowy threats – all conveniently aimed at one man. When we uncover the lies, she changes the script – hoping the audience forgets the plot.
This is a textbook case of “Give a dog a bad name and hang it.” The goal is to destroy Akpabio’s public image. First, he allegedly harassed her. Then, he sidelined her. What next? That he plans to privatise the oxygen Nigerians breathe?
Let us be clear: the Natasha debacle is a scripted drama to paint Akpabio as a villain and a threat to democracy. Ultimately, the goal is to weaken Senate leadership. But Nigerians are not being fooled – and many already see through the charade. History has taught us that in politics, those who cry the loudest often have the most to hide.
This episode is not about justice, democracy, or the protection of women – it is about power. Senator Natasha Akpoti, who has previously accused several men of sexual misconduct, is a well-placed pawn in a political chess game. Akpabio is simply the collateral victim. The true aim is to erode Tinubu’s support base and pave the way for an opposition comeback in 2027.
Those who cannot see this are either naive or willing accomplices in the drama.
If Natasha truly sought justice, she would not wage a media war in harmony with those who lost at the ballot and now hope to win through chaos.
As the Yoruba wisely say, “The rat cannot claim innocence when found near the pot of soup.”
The motives are transparent. The cast is clear. The only question is whether Nigerians will fall for the performance or stay focused on the real issues.
To Senator Akpabio, I say: take heart. The storm may rage, the winds may howl – but the tree with deep roots does not fear the tempest, and the eagle does not flinch at the storm. History is rarely kind to the mob – but it always remembers the man who stood tall when it was easier to fall.
- Dr. Clementina Daika is a Political Communication Strategist based in Plateau State
Godswill Akpabio, Nigeria’s Senate President, on Friday, pushed back against reports quoting him as promising to retrieve tickets from winners of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in lieu of sitting senators, who failed at the party’s primaries recently.
He also spoke on the issue of the comprehensive probe called by Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of Edo State, now Senator representing Edo North at the National Assembly, clarifying his position on the matte, which has since raised a lot of dust within the polity.
The twin issues, dominated the outcome of proceedings on Thursday, on the day the Senators returned after going on recess to participate in the party primaries that took place across board in Nigeria in line with the electoral outlay of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Akpabio, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, former Minister of the Niger Delta and now Chairman of the National Assembly, who conveyed his position through Eseme Eyiboh, his spokesman, denied ever making such promise to his colleagues, as it went against the grain of democratic ethos, which he had vowed to uphold.
Regarding the probe of the military, Akpabio, in the statement, stressed the need not to distract the institution, but provide it with all the needed support, giving the parlous security situation in the country, its personnel had been battling relentless.
The statement read in full: “The attention of the Office of the President of the Senate has been drawn to misleading reports circulating in sections of the media suggesting that the President of the Senate has promised to secure senatorial tickets for senators who lost their party primaries.
“We must categorically assert that this report does not reflect the position of the President of the Senate. For the record, Senator Akpabio has neither made nor authorised to be made such promise.
“What the President of the Senate actually said, in the course of interacting with his colleagues, was to empathise with senators who were affected by the outcome of their primary elections.
“He assured them that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), 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.
“Senator Akpabio remains committed to party discipline, due process, and the internal mechanisms of the APC for resolving disputes. 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 office also notes another report quoting a distinguished Senator on the need for the Senate to probe the military over recent security incidents. While legislative oversight is a constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly, 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 morale and operational focus.
“The Senate President believes strongly that support, collaboration and closed-door engagements with security agencies are more productive at this critical time. Oversight will be exercised responsibly, without creating distractions that embolden adversaries or divert attention from the urgent task of securing Nigeria.
“Senator Akpabio urges the media and the public to disregard sensational and inaccurate misrepresentation of his remarks and to always seek clarification from his office before publication.”
No candidate was imposed neither was any member barred from participating in the process, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said on Thursday, which defending the integrity of the exercise, which ended on May 29.
In a statement by Ikenna Enekweizu, National Secretary, party said that all aspirants were given a fair opportunity to participate in the democratic process, adding that the selection process was driven by consultation, consensus-building, and stakeholder engagement through established leadership structures across the country.
Stressing that its National Secretariat was never involved in the business of picking, choosing, or imposing candidates on any constituency or state, contrary to allegations that have emerged following the conclusion of the primaries, the statement added: “At no time has the NDC National Secretariat been involved in the business of picking, choosing, or imposing candidates on any constituency or state.
“Aspirants seeking elective positions were directed to engage with caucus leaders, stakeholders, and grassroots members in their respective states, who were responsible for consultations and recommendations based on local political realities. In the South-East geopolitical zone, our presidential candidate, Peter Obi, joined the party with an existing network of respected political leaders and elder statesmen who currently serve as caucus heads across the region.
“These include former governors and senior political figures such as Sam Egwu, Okwesilieze Nwodo, and Achike Udenwa, among others. The party explained that these leaders were tasked with conducting stakeholder consultations and helping build consensus around aspirants in their respective states.
“These leaders were entrusted with conducting stakeholder consultations, building consensus, and making recommendations to the party based on their understanding of the peculiar political dynamics in their respective states.
“Aspirants who disagreed with stakeholder recommendations were not excluded from the process but were allowed to test their popularity through grassroots primaries. This process was conducted without prejudice to the rights of any aspirant. Where aspirants disagreed with recommendations made by stakeholders or caucus leaders, they were free to test their popularity through the democratic process at the grassroots level, and this was duly accommodated,” the party said.
Addressing concerns raised by some aspirants following the primaries, the NDC acknowledged reports of individuals prematurely declaring themselves candidates as well as complaints regarding aspects of the process.
However, it maintained that such issues had been referred to the party’s appeal panel and leadership for resolution.
The statement also highlighted the party’s commitment to affirmative action and greater female participation in politics, noting that efforts had been made to encourage women to seek elective offices while also considering the interests of serving lawmakers.
Looking ahead, the NDC announced plans to begin a broad reconciliation process aimed at healing divisions and strengthening party unity after the conclusion of the primaries.
“As resolved at yesterday’s NEC meeting, we now look forward to the commencement of a comprehensive reconciliation process. We count on our esteemed caucus leaders, state chairmen, stakeholders, and party leaders to engage all aspirants and members in the interest of unity, cohesion, and the continued growth of our party.”
The party reiterated that its role throughout the nomination process was primarily to welcome new members and aspirants, reassure them of its commitment to fairness and transparency, and direct them to the appropriate caucus structures for participation in party affairs.
According to the NDC, the approach reflects its commitment to internal democracy, consultation, inclusiveness, and respect for established leadership structures as it continues preparations for future elections.
Idi Abbas, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), on Friday, prayed for a legislation to establish a special court to try those caught in the business of stealing crude oil in Nigeria, saying the current general law was not too helpful in stemming the tide.
It was also a day he claimed that the powerful forces behind the syndicate had a way of projecting fronts while remaining behind the scene, which made it almost impossible to track them to face justice.
In fact, Abbas, a Vice Admiral, revealed that the operation was so perfect that those arrested at illegal refining sites were usually low-level operatives with little knowledge of the larger criminal network.
A guest on Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, the Naval Chief noted that many of those apprehended during operations are merely workers paid small sums, adding that such a complex structure of oil theft syndicates made it difficult to identify and prosecute the individuals who orchestrate the criminal enterprise.
“Most of the faces behind these thefts are not really known or are not the ones we always catch. The ones we get at most of the illegal refinery sites are just being given some paltry sum, while the big masquerades are the ones that make the real money. Prosecuting suspects is often complicated by the fact that many of those arrested have little or no information about the people directing the operations.
“In trying to prosecute some of these people that we get, some of them don’t even know who they are working for. So, the network is a very delicate one.
“But despite the challenges the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies are continually refining their strategies to counter the evolving tactics of oil thieves. As they are evolving strategies, we are also evolving new strategies. Like I keep saying, technology is the way forward. With that, we have been able to reduce the level of theft.”
Stating that the adoption of technology-driven surveillance, intelligence gathering and monitoring systems had significantly enhanced efforts to curb crude oil theft and protect critical national assets, he reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigerian Navy to sustaining operations against oil theft, stressing that collaboration among security agencies, stakeholders and host communities remains essential to safeguarding the nation’s oil resources.
The naval boss while assuring that Nigeria’s coastal and riverine communities are relatively safe, said the Nigerian Navy had made significant progress in reducing threats along the coast, particularly illegal oil-related activities and sea robbery.
“As it stands today, I can say that our coastal areas and the riverine areas are relatively safe. While crude oil theft and isolated cases of sea robbery remain areas of concern, the Navy has been largely successful in containing such activities through intensified surveillance and enforcement operations.
Hear him: “What we are contending with mostly there is the issue of crude oil theft and some pockets of sea robbery, which we are able to curtail. There is need for the establishment of a special court dedicated to prosecuting maritime crimes.
“This court will focus exclusively on cases involving crude oil theft and other maritime-related offences, helping to address delays associated with the conventional judicial process. The establishment of such a court would significantly accelerate the dispensation of justice and reduce the burden currently placed on the Navy in maintaining seized vessels and other exhibits pending the conclusion of lengthy court processes.
“If we have that in place, I believe the dispensation of justice will be done much faster and then ease the burden of keeping and maintaining some of the arrested vessels, which will be taken off from us because we spend a lot to maintain those vessels under our custody.”
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