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Mull confidence Vs no-confidence votes
By Andrew Oota
Ahead of the scheduled resumption of the National Assembly next week Tuesday, the supporters and opposers of the leadership style of Senate President Godswill Akpabio are warming up for a possible show of strength.
While supporters of the Senate President are preparing a vote of confidence to be passed on senator Akpabio, those against the Senate President are working on countering that move with strong arguments that bothers on what they termed ,”submission of the independence of the legislature to the Presidency “.
It was reported in some sections of the media of alleged plots to flip the leadership of the Senate by some aggrieved Senators .
Honourable Esemeh Eyiboh, Spokesman to the president of the Senate had debunked the media reports that his boss was embattled.
PEOPLES DAILY Newspapers gathered reliably that while Senator Akpabio enjoys the support of the Presidency as well as that of majority of Senators , his die-hard colleagues are planning to stamp his authority on the Senate by raising a vote of confidence motion as a validation of his absolute control of the red-chamber.
A senator from North Central and member of the All Progressives Congress ,APC who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that ,” we don’t want to take chances regarding the media reports that the Senate President will be removed . We know it is a talk task ,but we won’t take chances ,therefore we are going to pass a vote of confidence on him when we resume “.
He continued ,” I was scheduled to travel but when the information came out I had to call off my trip . I made contacts and realized that yes some senators are muting that idea and we know where it is coming from. It is not unconnected with the election of the leadership of the Senate and we know the people behind it. We are waiting for them and if you recall the treatment melted out on late Senator Arthur Nzerebe when he plotted the removal of the then Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, there will be a repeat of it ,if anybody comes with such agenda on the floor. We have alot to do to better the lives of Nigerians and we don’t have time for unecessary distractions ,those who lost elections can contest another time ,this is not the end of life”.
Another senator from North West identified as part of the plot hinted PEOPLES DAILY Newspapers that the plot to remove the Senate President will be strategically executed ,adding that “we will first and foremost counter any move to pass a vote of confidence on him”.
He continued, “The President didn’t have any business with the emergence of the National Assembly leadership but he decided to interfere very openly and that has tilted the loyalty of the Senate President to the Executive arm which is wrong .
“ Look at the composition of the standing committees of the Senate which needed the approval of the Executive which is also wrong. In fact the Senate President has surrendered the integrity and independence of the parliament to the executive and we don’t think it’s fair.
“As it stands ,this Senate can’t claim independence and to that extent ,it will affect our oversight functions “.
He maintained that ,”we are going to be strategic , yes some people may want to say we are dinning with the opposition or even doing there budding ,but that’s not true ,because even if Akpabio leaves today , another APC senator will take over and not PDP or NNPP”.
It was equally gathered that two senators from the south East have been working with a handful of senators from North West across party lines with the view to frustrate the Akpabio Senate Presidency.
