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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has accused the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) of politicising the sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, suggesting it is part of a broader strategy to undermine Southern Nigeria’s political influence ahead of the 2027 elections.
PANDEF’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiuwevbi Ominimini, expressed disappointment in the ACF, stating that its actions are “a political war against the entire people of Southern Nigeria aiming to incite Northern Nigeria against the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.
Ominimini emphasised that the South is entitled to produce Nigeria’s next president, following two consecutive Northern-led administrations under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The ACF, however, has called for a thorough investigation into the allegations, citing concerns over the national and international image of the Senate.
ACF spokesperson Tukur Muhammad-Baba noted, “The public image of the leadership of the 10th Senate is now less than inspiring”.
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Despite this, PANDEF argued that suspensions and disciplinary measures within the Senate are common and not regionally biased, pointing to past instances where Southern senators faced similar actions without regional outcry.
PANDEF also called for the arrest of ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, alleging that his comments pose a threat to national unity by falsely suggesting an “anti-Arewa agenda” in Nigerian politics. The group described the allegations against Akpabio as a “dead on arrival” political attack and reaffirmed its support for the Senate President, urging him to remain steadfast.
He said: “It is very strange and sad to hear as stated by the ACF National Publicity Secretary that ‘ACF rues the development and hopes that it is not part of the thinly-veiled anti-Arewa agenda now pervading the Nigerian political process.’
“The question is, where is the anti-Arewa agenda coming from? Is it from Southern Nigeria or within Arewa? PANDEF has therefore concluded that this political calculation targeted against the Senate president through this well orchestrated sexual harassment accusation is nothing but a political gimmick to fight back against the South South Geopolitical zone, the bread winner of Nigeria and the entire Southern Nigeria in the belief of ACF that there is an Anti-Arewa agenda in Nigeria.
“This political sexual harassment accusation is therefore dead on arrival. PANDEF shall, therefore, call for an extraordinary meeting without delay to look deeper into this dance to the gallery by the ACF.
“PANDEF calls on the Senate president to remain resolute and be confident that we his people shall do all good things possible to rally round him in the face of this exposed calculated political attack on his office and person and the Southern Nigeria-led presidency. The Senate has its own rules, and ACF cannot dictate to the Senate on how to conduct its business.”
