Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio harbours a personal bias against him and remains uncomfortable with his presence and interactions within the Senate.
Speaking during an appearance on Mic On Podcast on Sunday, the former Edo State governor claimed that Akpabio is overly suspicious of anything connected to him and suggested that the Senate President would exclude him from Senate activities if given the opportunity.
“He is so paranoid about anything that has to do with me. Everybody in the Senate knows that if Senator Akpabio had his way, he would lock me out of the Senate because he has misled himself into thinking that I am probably the devil he knows. There are many angels he doesn’t know,” Oshiomhole said.
The senator maintained that despite his role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his contribution to President Bola Tinubu’s election campaign as Deputy Director-General of the campaign council, he believes Akpabio’s attitude towards him remains negative.
Oshiomhole also suggested that dissatisfaction is growing among lawmakers over the current style of leadership in the Senate and predicted that future leadership arrangements would not follow the same pattern.
“The 11th Senate will not be like the 10th. Senators are grumbling about his style of leadership, but we try to manage,” he stated.
Citing an example, Oshiomhole alleged that Akpabio became uneasy when senators interacted with him and recounted a conversation involving Senator Abdulaziz Yari’s interest in serving as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, which he currently chairs.
According to Oshiomhole, Akpabio questioned whether Yari’s interest was linked to plans to challenge his leadership.
The Edo North senator, however, stressed that the office of the Senate President remains dependent on the support of fellow lawmakers.
“If you understand the way the Senate works, the Senate President is first among equals. It is about who the senators want,” he said.
As of the time of this report, there was no official response from Senate President Godswill Akpabio regarding the allegations.
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