The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu is interested in a vibrant opposition, urging the main opposition, the People’s Democratic Party and the Labour Party, to put their houses in order.
Akpabio made the statement at the inauguration of the Arterial Road N20 Interchange Bridge.
Referring to the recent crisis in the PDP over the position of the party’s National Secretary, as well as Senator Neda Imasuen, Senate Committee Chairman on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, who defected from the Labour Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress, the Senate President stated that Tinubu was saddened to see the opposition in disarray.
“However you people got yourselves into this confusion, try and get yourselves out of it very quickly. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR is interested in seeing a vibrant opposition. As a true democrat, we would like to see a very vibrant opposition in the country. It saddens him when he sees the way the opposition in Nigeria is in disarray.
“Just before I came here to represent him (Tinubu), I received and read a letter from the Labour Party. So it’s not only PDP that is in disarray. Even the Labour Party is cracked. And people who are strong members of the Labour Party are angling to run Nigeria when they cannot put a small political party like that in order,” he said.
Akpabio also stated that he wasn’t tired of receiving defectors to the APC, adding that the party’s doors were open.
“Senator Neda Imasuen just decamped this afternoon from the Labour Party and moved from the left-hand side of the Senate to the right-hand side. So that took my time, Honourable Minister; I had to do that ritual.
“I’m not tired. I’m happy to receive them because our doors are open in the All Progressive Congress. So congratulations to Imasuen, who has decided to leave the fractured Labour Party to join the APC,” Akpabio stated.
In his speech, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike chastised the PDP for waiting for directions from the Independent National Electoral Commission before following a Supreme Court decision that confirmed Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary.
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Addressing the PDP’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, Wike contended that the subject of reinstating Anyanwu did not arise, stressing that the Secretary was not appointed by the Chairman and had been working since his election.
“I heard it when the acting national chairman of the PDP was directing the national secretary to resume. The National Secretary is not your appointee. The National Secretary has been doing his work. So, you can’t call him to resume.
“The National Secretary has been working and will continue to work. He doesn’t require anybody to direct him to resume work.
“If it’s because of your ignorance of the law, too bad. The law does not recognise ignorance. That you’re ignorant of the law is not an excuse. I feel so bad when people can now move to INEC; for INEC to direct them to obey Supreme Court judgement, it’s most unfortunate,” he said.
The FCT Minister scolded Damagum, stating that he will not join individuals who are sabotaging themselves. He urged Damagum to seek advice rather than acting out of ego or depending exclusively on allocations, emphasising that money is not the answer to all problems.
“Continue to shoot yourself. I will not be a party of those who will shoot themselves. When you don’t know something, ask the right person. Not because of ego, not because of, Oh, I’m receiving a monthly allocation. Money does not solve all the problems.
“There’s nothing you can do about it. If you want to learn, come and meet us; we will teach you how to go about it,” Wike said.
