The Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Senate Leader, has said there was no altercation between the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the directorate’s reaction was sequel to a certain post about a purported altercation between Akpabio and Bamidele.
However, the directorate, in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, said the reported altercation between the two principal officers of the senate was farther from the truth.
It said that its attention had been drawn to the fake news currently being circulated by an individual whom it described as a ‘serial blackmailer and cash-and-carry journalist’.
“The post is about an alleged altercation and physical fight between Leader of the Senate, Bamidele and President of the Senate, Akpabio, on Wednesday.
“For the record, it is a verifiable fact that Bamidele has never been involved in physical assault in over two decades of his political trajectory.
“Not even when he was a young man leading the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) as President.
“It is surprising that the purveyor of this misleading information, in his selfish agenda and unprofessional conduct, threw ethos of journalism into waste bin and decided to feast on roadside gists to tarnish the image of the senate leader.
“We are aware that the fake news is meant to cause disaffection within the senate and by extension; heating up the political system.
“The senate leader, president of the senate and other principal officers of the senate together received the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr YU Dunhai and his delegation,” it said.
This, the directorate further stated, was few minutes after leaving the plenary on Wednesday.
It warned those he called attention seekers to be careful and not take Bamodele’s gentlemanliness for granted.
“Henceforth, the leader will be forced to use the instrumentality of the law to protect himself and his office, as enshrined in the CyberCrime Act, 2015.
“We, therefore, urge the public to disregard this misinformation and treat it with the disrespect it entirely deserves,” the statement said. (NAN)