Former Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has rejected the indirect suggestion made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio that certain “individuals” are attempting to force him out of office following the sexual harassment scandal involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Saraki labeled the allegations as “cheap politics” and an oversimplification of a serious matter.
He clarified his position through a statement issued by his media office, headed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja.
The former Senate President was responding to Akpabio’s remarks, which implied that certain individuals from Adamawa and Kwara States were hoping for his resignation.
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Akpabio had made these comments on Friday night while speaking to a group of youth leaders from various ethnic nationalities at the Senate Guest House in Maitama, Abuja.
He suggested that these individuals, aware of the Senate’s ethical rules, were ignoring the real issues because of opposition politics.
He also highlighted that, as Senate President, he represents not only his constituency and party but an entire region that had not held the position for 46 years.
Although Akpabio did not directly name anyone, political commentators speculated that he was referring to Saraki and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who both come from Kwara and Adamawa States, respectively.
However, Saraki clarified in a statement on Sunday that his call for a transparent investigation into the allegations against Akpabio was not an attempt to remove a “Niger Delta person” from office, as implied by Akpabio.
Saraki urged Akpabio to review his previous statement from March 1, emphasizing that he had never suggested or called for his resignation.
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Saraki stated: “Ordinarily, I would have ignored the statement as a sign of the times in which we now live. However, the underlying motive of politicising and trivialising a serious issue that threatens the integrity, credibility, and importance of the legislature is why we must not allow the Senate President to create a misleading impression of the issue at stake.”
He further clarified: “In my last comment on the Akpabio-Akpoti-Uduaghan crisis, I never called on the Senate President to resign or step aside. Rather, I urged him to recognise that perception is reality. He should avoid handling the allegations in a way that creates the impression the Senate is covering up issues concerning sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and abuse of office.”
Saraki also condemned Akpabio for leveraging ethnic and political sentiments, stating that this strategy would not benefit him or the institution he oversees.
“This issue is not one in which Akpabio should exploit ethnic sentiments, political division, or regional proclivity. This will neither benefit him nor the institution over which he presides. He should face the reality on the ground and do what is right,” Saraki added.
He reiterated that his recommendations were aimed at benefiting the legislative institution, emphasizing that his position was not influenced by Akpabio’s political party or place of origin.
“When sensitive matters such as sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and mistreatment of women are raised, they evoke the pains that thousands of women experience daily. It is disingenuous and crude to describe my comments along those primordial lines,” Saraki explained.
He concluded by stressing the importance of transparency in addressing such matters within legislative institutions.
“When such issues arise in a place like the legislature, it is an opportunity to address them with utmost openness and transparency, ensuring justice is not only done but seen to be done. People like me, who have made sacrifices to defend the integrity of the legislature, will not stop speaking up for the right thing to be done,” Saraki affirmed.
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