Kenny Okolugbo, media aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has described the recent comments made by Dr Adetokunbo Pierce on ARISE News as “irresponsible and misleading,” insisting that all female senators in the 10th National Assembly currently serve as committee chairpersons.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Sunday, Okolugbo said, “I think Adetokunbo Pierce was quite irresponsible with his submission that the interview did not dwell on Senator Godswill Akpabio. An honest question was asked by one of you on the constitutional amendments that was being carried out by the National Assembly. And the tirade he went on was totally uncalled for.”
He faulted Dr Pierce’s remarks on corruption allegations and safety of women around the Senate President, saying the statements were baseless and defamatory. “First, he referred to him as a criminal, referred to him as having been someone who is having cases with the EFCC, and that more women in the Senate with Godswill Akpabio, they’re not safe.”
Okolugbo said he immediately reached out to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following the interview to verify the claims. “I contacted the EFCC after that interview. And the EFCC told me that they have no investigation, no current investigation or investigation before now, as at now, against Godswill Akpabio, and that there is no investigation whatsoever.”
He added that there was no pending case against the Senate President. “He has been investigated before now. But right now, he’s not under any investigation.”
On the previous EFCC investigations, Okolugbo clarified that the matter had been resolved. “That matter has been concluded and he was not indicted, I can tell you authoritatively. The matter has been concluded and he was not indicted.”
Addressing claims that Akpabio did not run for the Senate, he said, “On the 28th of May, there was a primary that they had to cancel for security reasons for a rerun, which was done on the 10th of June, 2022. And Godswill Akpabio emerged after the present Minister of Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo, stepped down. He got 478 votes in that primary… This case got to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court declared that the APC was right in conducting the rerun and that Godswill Akpabio actually emerged as a candidate for the APC.”
Responding to Dr Pierce’s insinuations about women not being safe under Akpabio’s leadership, Okolugbo said the facts prove otherwise. “For your information, the four women who are the senators in the 10th National Assembly are all chairmen of committees. Senator Edyta Abule is the chairman of a committee. Senator Kingibe is the chairman of a committee. And Senator Banigu is the chairman of health. Kingibe is the chairman of women’s affairs. All of them are committee chairmen.”
Okolugbo also revealed that Akpabio’s lawyers had written to Dr Pierce demanding a retraction and apology. “He has been written a letter by Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President’s lawyers. And we have given him three days to retract those statements and issue a public apology on the same ARISE TV, Channels TV, AIT, Nigeria Info, and to publish in Guardian, ThisDay, and Vanguard. And if he doesn’t do that in three days, I’m sure we’ll use him as a guinea pig so that people will stop using Akpabio as a punch bag.”
On allegations raised by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and former NDDC Managing Director Joy Nunieh, Okolugbo said the matter was already in court. “I’ll rightly tell you that Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, is in court presently against Senator Natasha Akpoti on defamation. That matter has come up, and it will come up again very soon. I do not want to comment further, because I know that by the time the case comes up, Nigerians will be very clear on that issue. And we’ll see that what we have always said, that the Senator lied, will be proven.”
Defending the Senate’s record under Akpabio, Okolugbo dismissed the notion that it was a rubber-stamp legislature. “You said the Senate is a rubber stamp. The same Senate has five development commissions that have been passed into law and have been established. The same Senate has 52 bills that have been signed into law, or is it the same Senate that has 91 bills that have been passed, and over 200 at different committee stages of hearing.”
He added, “This same Senate has just summoned the Chief of Defence Staff, the Minister of Defence, and the Inspector General of Police to come and explain what is happening in Kwara. We should try to have our facts when we come on national television. And do not give your medium to people like Adetokunbo Pierce to propagate falsehood.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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