Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has denied allegations that he is part of a group pushing for Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s resignation. The claim surfaced following a controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s sexual harassment case.
Saraki responded through a statement released by his media office in Abuja, dismissing the accusation as “cheap politics” and an attempt to divert attention from a serious issue. His reaction came after Akpabio suggested that some political figures from Kwara and Adamawa States were hoping for his removal.
Akpabio made the remarks while addressing a group of youth leaders at the Senate Guest House in Abuja. He noted that certain individuals were using opposition politics to ignore the real issues, despite knowing the Senate’s rules on ethical conduct. The Senate President also pointed out that he represents not just his constituency and party, but an entire region that had not held the position in 46 years.
Although Akpabio did not mention any names, many political observers speculated that he was referring to Saraki and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, both of whom are from the states he mentioned.
However, Saraki, in his Sunday statement, made it clear that his position was not about Akpabio’s political background but about ensuring accountability in the Senate. He urged Akpabio to revisit his earlier statement from March 1, noting that he never suggested or requested his resignation.
Saraki stated: “Ordinarily, I would have ignored the statement as a sign of the times in which we now live. However, the underlying motive of politicising and trivialising a serious issue that threatens the integrity, credibility, and importance of the legislature is why we must not allow the Senate President to create a misleading impression of the issue at stake.”
He further clarified: “In my last comment on the Akpabio-Akpoti-Uduaghan crisis, I never called on the Senate President to resign or step aside. Rather, I urged him to recognise that perception is reality. He should avoid handling the allegations in a way that creates the impression the Senate is covering up issues concerning sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and abuse of office.”
Saraki also criticised Akpabio for using political and ethnic sentiments to shift focus from the real matter at hand, stating that such tactics would not help the Senate’s credibility.
“This issue is not one in which Akpabio should exploit ethnic sentiments, political division, or regional proclivity. This will neither benefit him nor the institution over which he presides. He should face the reality on the ground and do what is right,” Saraki added.
He reiterated that his stance was not influenced by political rivalry but by the need for transparency and accountability in the Senate.
“When sensitive matters such as sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and mistreatment of women are raised, they evoke the pains that thousands of women experience daily. It is disingenuous and crude to describe my comments along those primordial lines,” Saraki explained.
Saraki concluded by stressing the importance of handling such issues with openness, ensuring justice is not only done but also seen to be done.
“When such issues arise in a place like the legislature, it is an opportunity to address them with utmost openness and transparency, ensuring justice is not only done but seen to be done. People like me, who have made sacrifices to defend the integrity of the legislature, will not stop speaking up for the right thing to be done,” Saraki affirmed.
