Akpabio asks Saraki to resign after disagreement over sitting arrangement

Godswill Akpabio, senator representing Akwa Ibom north-west, says Senate President Bukola Saraki should resign his position.

Akpabio made the call on Wednesday after he had a disagreement with Saraki in the senate chamber over sitting arrangement.

Albert Akpan, senator representing Akwa Ibom north-east, had accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of plotting to create chaos ahead of the governorship election.

The former minority leader moved to respond to the allegation but Saraki said he should speak from the seat assigned to him by Nelson Ayewoh, clerk of the senate.

Speaking with journalists after plenary, Akpabio said APC is the majority party in the upper legislative chamber and there is a need to form a new leadership.

He beckoned on Saraki to resign honourably “just like I did”.

“It’s a tradition all over the world that when you defect to another party even as a senate president like Saraki did, to resign from the office of the senate president,” the senator said.

“APC is still the majority party and they need to form a new leadership. The senate president should honourably resign just like I did.”

Akpabio explained that national interest informed his decision to move from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.

“I moved to APC in national interest. I don’t believe in bringing government into being and will not support that government to succeed,” he said.

“In the last 16 years, I did not see one kilometre of road done by PDP government in Akwa Ibom state, but today, APC government is constructing the road from Akwa Ibom to Calabar.

“The road has been a death trap and I must thank this government for that. From the national and local perspectives, people look at me as a leader and I must tell you that in 2019, it would be difficult for any other party to penetrate the south-south.”