Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has rejected claims by the current Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who suggested that calls for a transparent investigation into the allegations made against him by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan were part of an attempt to remove a Niger Delta person from office. Saraki described Akpabio’s comments as “cheap politics” and a “trivialisation of a serious issue.”
In a statement issued by his media office in Abuja, Saraki clarified that he never called for Akpabio’s resignation. Instead, he emphasized the need for Akpabio to act in the best interests of the Senate by ensuring that the accusations leveled against him were thoroughly and transparently investigated, so that there would be no doubt about the fairness of the process.
Saraki’s statement responded to Akpabio’s address to certain ethnic youth groups, where the Senate President claimed that individuals from Kwara and Adamawa States wanted him removed because of his Niger Delta origin. Saraki, however, dismissed these remarks, arguing that such claims politicized the issue and undermined the integrity of the Senate.
In his earlier remarks on the matter, Saraki had expressed concern that the Senate was at risk of being seen as an institution that tolerated sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and abuse of office. He stressed that, although he did not take a position on the truth of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations, the priority should be ensuring that the matter was dealt with in a manner that maintained the Senate’s credibility.
Saraki pointed out that, in his March 1st statement, he had not called for Akpabio’s resignation but urged the Senate President to handle the allegations with transparency to avoid any perception of a cover-up. He also reminded Akpabio that there were constitutional processes and Senate rules in place for handling such serious allegations.
Reiterating his position, Saraki made it clear that his comments were not politically motivated. He emphasized that the call for an open investigation had nothing to do with regional or party affiliations. Saraki criticized Akpabio’s attempt to use ethnic and political rhetoric to deflect from the issue at hand.
Saraki concluded by reinforcing the need for the Senate to handle the accusations with the utmost seriousness, especially given the sensitive nature of the allegations involving sexual harassment and gender discrimination. He argued that only a transparent, unbiased investigation could restore public trust in the institution. Saraki reiterated that he would continue to speak out for the integrity of the Senate, regardless of who was in office, to ensure justice and uphold the dignity of Nigeria’s legislative institution.
