By Haruna Salami
The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele has restated the loyalty of the senators the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking at plenary on Wednesday in reaction to a news item carried the previous day, Opeyemi said the news was attributed to Senator Orji Ujor Kalu.
He said, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin called his attention to the news and both of them tried unsuccessfully to speak with Senator Kalu.
Fortunately, Kalu eventually returned the call and “from my discussions with Senator Orji Ujor Kalu, it was obvious to me that it was quoted out of context”, Opeyemi said.
According to him “there was no attempt by any of our colleagues here, there was infact no discussion around the possibility or otherwise of the removal of His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio as President of the Senate.
“We are not taking this misinformation for granted, because we know that at this time, not only that we are all united behind the leadership of His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio as President of the Senate, we are also developing a zero level of tolerance to distraction, because there are very urgent issues of public importance that we need to attend to in this Senate”
He said “the reason I’m standing up to make this clarification is that we’re trying to ensure that we prevent any form of distraction. And such a report like that, to us, was aimed at also causing distraction and also trying to create confusion on the minds of members of public.
“We are totally united in this Senate, and there is no tension in this Senate. And as far as we are concerned, there is no reason for us to begin to contemplate the removal of any of our presiding officers.
“So, I just wanted to state this for the record, Mr. President”, Opeyemi said.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Barau who presided over Wednesday plenary, thanked Opeyemi Bamidel who he referred to as “Our capacitated leader”, for the clarification.
He explained that “when you say capacitated, it means an up and doing person. So the leader is up and doing”.
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