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President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has sparked reactions on social media after he mocked the disarray within opposition parties on the floor of the Senate during plenary.
Akpabio’s comments came while he was reading an official defection letter from the former Governor of Sokoto State and current Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, confirming his move to the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The letter also highlighted a series of resignations from the Labour Party, LP and other minority caucus members.
Read Also: God Has Ordained Me To Be Nigeria’s President – Tinubu
As he read, Akpabio paused, visibly amused by the state of the opposition, and made light of their internal struggles, saying, “Oh, PDP is gone!”
He added, “Even the Labour Party is dead. I’ve read about three different political parties now,” as he recounted further defections from the LP.
Akpabio seized the opportunity to dismiss claims that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was behind the opposition’s troubles.
He attributed the turmoil to leadership failures within the parties themselves.
“You cannot accuse the ruling party of tampering with their leadership because here you have APGA, you have Labour, you have MVP, and all those things. So all of them have a problem. They’ve not been able to put their parties together. So, APC cannot be blamed for this. They are all out to ensure that we have a minority status in this chamber, and I am very proud of them,” Akpabio said.
President Bola Tinubu has stated that his emergence as Nigeria’s president was part of a divine plan.
Tinubu made the declaration while reiterating his commitment to good governance, adherence to the rule of law, and the preservation of democratic values in the country.
The president spoke at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during an interfaith iftar where he hosted members of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) alongside leaders of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the president emphasised the importance of strengthening electoral institutions, processes, and systems across political parties.
Tinubu also advocated for the adoption of direct primaries, saying the system would allow party members to participate more actively in choosing candidates for various political offices.
Describing himself as a committed democrat, the president pledged to continue working towards Nigeria’s unity while upholding the rule of law.
“Some of us had been bruised struggling for it. We were detained, we protested, we had street demonstrations, we went into exile and all of that. We formed NADECO. I followed the leadership destiny that God has chosen for me. There’s no doubt about it.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said he had “no choice” but to sign the Electoral Act, explaining that the bill was passed with overwhelming support by the National Assembly of Nigeria.
According to Tinubu, he chose to respect the rule of law rather than plunge the country into political turmoil.
He made the remarks while addressing the All Progressives Congress, APC, leaders and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on Wednesday at the State House, Abuja, where he reflected on the challenges of governance and the nature of politics in a democratic system.
Speaking on the Electoral Act, the president said he chose to respect the decision of the National Assembly of Nigeria, which passed the legislation with overwhelming support.
“I had no choice. I didn’t want to throw the country into turmoil of argument,” Tinubu said.
“There was an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly that passed the law. If I had serious questions or reservations, I would have raised them. But I submitted myself to the principle of the rule of law and democracy. I signed, and the rest is history.”
