Group alleges plot to portray Akpabio as incompetent over ‘credit alert’ comment

A group known as the Citizens Network for Peace and Development in Nigeria (CNPDN) says some senators and people outside the parliament are working to portray Senate President Godswill Akpabio as “incompetent”.

In a statement on Friday, Francis Wainwei, CNPDN’s secretary, said those behind the attacks on Akpabio do not mean well for the stability of the country.

Wainwei was reacting to the backlash that followed the gaffe suffered by the senate president when he announced that money had been sent to the bank accounts of senators to enjoy their recess.

The secretary of the group said the era of divisive and negative politics is over, noting that everyone should work for the stability of the country.

“We are therefore calling on those behind these unnecessary attacks on the person of Senator Akpabio to desist forthwith from their unpatriotic and nefarious activities,” he said.

“The said campaign is orchestrated by both persons in the 10th senate and persons outside the senate with the aim of portraying him as incompetent and insensitive to the plight of the masses.

“We know that the people behind these unwarranted attacks on the senate president don’t mean well for the stability and prosperity of the country and therefore, members of the public should scrutinize their fabricated reports against him before reacting.

“We have recently witnessed a plethora of negative and fabricated media reports against Sen. Akpabio following his harmless and lighthearted comments about the statutory N2 million running cost of the office of each senator as provided for in the 2023 budget.”

Wainwei said the senate president has the capacity to help President Bola Tinubu’s administration succeed.