Senate President Godswill Akpabio has debunked media reports claiming he promised automatic senatorial tickets to lawmakers who were unsuccessful in the recent All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections.
Akpabio’s clarification comes on the heels of remarks he made while welcoming senators back from a three-week recess and the Eid-el-Kabir holiday, where he noted his optimism that measures were being put in place to tackle issues arising from the party’s primary elections.
Addressing the assembly during the plenary session, the Senate President noted the setbacks experienced by some lawmakers, stating that the Senate leadership was taking steps to reduce disappointments among its members.
However, in a press release issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, Akpabio clarified that assertions claiming he gave guarantees for automatic tickets to the affected lawmakers were completely false.
The statement explained that the Senate President only offered words of sympathy to his colleagues who lost out in the primaries and gave them assurances that the APC leadership was looking into the grievances stemming from the exercise.
“What the President of the Senate actually said was to empathise with senators who were affected negatively by the outcome of their primary elections,” the statement read.
It further noted, “He assured them that the leadership of the APC is actively working to address all issues arising from the primaries and that the final list of candidates will be released in due course in line with the party’s constitution and electoral guidelines.”
Akpabio maintained his commitment to party rules and due process, emphasizing that he has no intention of meddling in the internal running of the APC or making promises that exceed his constitutional powers as the Senate President.
This clarification follows the recent outcome of the APC primaries across Nigeria, where a number of sitting senators failed to clinch return tickets for their respective districts.
