Bukola Saraki, former senate president, has asked Senate President Godswill Akpabio to “face reality and do what is right.”
Saraki was reacting to comments made by Akpabio, on Friday, when the senate president hosted some Niger Delta youth leaders.
Akpabio had said there were individuals in Adamawa and Kwara states who wish to see him removed from his position.
Though Akpabio didn’t mention names, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Saraki, who are from Adamawa and Kwara respectively, had issued statements calling on the senate president to step aside regarding the case involving Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Akpabio of making sexual advances towards her during a visit to his home in Akwa Ibom state.
The allegation was preceded by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s outburst against Akpabio over the seating arrangement in the senate chambers.
In a statement on Sunday signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, his media aide, Saraki described Akpabio’s assertions as “cheap politics and trivialising of a serious issue.”
He reiterated the need for an open and unbiased investigation into the sexual harassment allegations made by Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“The attention of the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Media Office has been drawn to the statement made by Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio while addressing the leaders of some “youth ethnic groups” on Friday that certain individuals from Kwara and Adamawa States want him removed because he is from the Niger Delta region,” the statement reads.
“Ordinarily, Dr. Saraki would have ignored the statement as a sign of the times in which we now live. However, its underlying motive of politicising and trivialising a serious issue that threatens the integrity, credibility, and importance of the legislature is the reason why we think we should not allow the Senate President to create a misleading impression of the issue at stake in the all-important institution that the National Assembly represents in our democracy.
“Dr. Saraki in his last comment on the Akpabio-Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan crisis never called on the Senate President to resign or step aside. Rather, he urged the Senate President to be conscious of the fact that perception is reality and therefore he should avoid treating the allegations by the Senator in a manner that will create the perception that the Senate as an institution is trying to cover up issues bothering on sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and abuse of office.
“Also, Dr. Saraki made it clear that his intervention was neither about Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan nor whether her claim was right or not. He stated that since the Senator has gone public with such serious allegations against the presiding officer, the image of the institution should be saved through an honest, sincere, open, transparent, and unbiased investigation.
“In that press statement, he also pointed out that there are already existing processes recommended in the Constitution, laws of the land, Senate rules, conventions, and precedents to be followed in carrying out such investigation.
“Again, Dr. Saraki is of the firm belief that his suggestions are for the benefit of the legislative institution. So, he will repeat the same suggestion no matter where the Senate President comes from and whichever party he belongs to.
“It is not because the incumbent is a member of the APC, that the former Senate President is from the PDP or that the former is from the South-South zone while the latter is from the North Central zone. Far from it. It is disingenuous and crude to describe Dr. Saraki’s comment along those primordial lines.
“This issue is definitely not one in which Akpabio should exploit ethnic sentiments, political division, or regional proclivity. This will neither be in his own interest or that of the institution over which he is presiding. He should face the reality on ground and do what is right.”
The statement noted that Saraki stands by and maintains his earlier suggestion to Akpabio and the senate leadership on the allegations raised by Akpoti-Uduaghan.
“An open, transparent, and honest investigation of the allegations is still needed to ensure that the Senate is not cast in the image of an institution that is tolerant of sexual harassment, gender bias, victimisation and mistreatment of women, abuse of office, and enthronement of the culture of silence,” the statement reads.
“By having such an investigation, the general public and the international community will have more confidence in our legislative institution.
“People like Dr. Saraki have made huge sacrifices in defending the integrity of the legislative institution and will not desist in speaking up for the right thing to be done. May God bless our institutions and our country.”