A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Emmanuel Nkpubre, has warned those bent on pulling the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, down to stop the “futile and nugatory exercise.”
He described Akpabio as man with moral credentials, “known for fixing lapses in any position he finds himself” and wouldn’t get involved in anything detrimental to the interest of Nigerians.
He said the trio of President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kassim Shetima and Akpabio, “are mixed strengths that have what it takes to take Nigerians out of the pits of despair.”
He condemned the “rubber stamp” insinuation on the Senate President as “a misrepresentation of the burning zest in the leadership of the Senate to bring succours to the quandaries of the Nigerian nation.
“Nigeria is still counting her losses from that misalignments in the nation’s power blogs. Akpabio that we know is a peaceful man that will never want to reign as a Senate President in a rancour-tensed atmosphere with the president. He knows such comes with huge tolls on dividends of democracy.”
On the budget brouhaha, Nkpubre emphasised that the layout of the nation’s 2024 Appropriation Bill was explicit enough for even a layman to understand: “In the capital expenditure axis, there is nothing to question in the bill.”
He said details and breakdowns are available online for Nigerians to access: “The budget padding accusation was only a crooked way to rubbish the leadership of the 10th Senate, by extension, question the control mechanisms of the Presidency.
“Akpabio has never been a materialist or a wealth conscious person. We see private jets, five-star hotels, lamborghinis, bugattis, rolls royces and heaps of high profile properties owned by Nigerian politicians, can someone show any owned by Akpabio.
“Since after the uncommon transformation of Akwa Ibom State by Akpabio between 2007 and 2015, enemies of progress have worked unceasingly petitioning anti-graft agencies against Akpabio, but has never been found wanting in these accusations, even during his days in the opposition party.”