Contrary to some insinuations and claims making the rounds that there were some shady activities on the floor of the Senate at the inaugural plenary of the 10th Assembly that saw Senator Godswill Akpabio emerge as the Senate President, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has come out to say that Akpabio won on a fairground.
Senator Kalu’s comment comes on the heels of speculation that some disgruntled APC Senators who are not satisfied with the outcome of the June 13 election could defect to the opposition parties.
Recall that Akpabio defeated Senator Abdulaziz Yari with a 17-vote margin to emerge the new Senate President, with the former Akwa Ibom governor scoring 63 votes to Yari’s 46.
While Yari, who was confident of winning because of the number of supporters he had garnered, accused some Senators of betraying him, there is a persistent claim that some shady conduct on the floor of the hallowed chamber aided Akpabio’s victory.
However, reacting to those claims, the former Senate Chief Whip, as reported by Channels TV, said, “Let me be honest with you, the election in the Senate was transparent. Akpabio won the election. It was free; it was fair”.
Continuing, he added, “I can’t lie to my conscience; Akpabio won the election hands down. There was no comparison on who won the election; if there is anything any other person wants to say, that is their business, but Akpabio, to my conscience, to my seeing, to my honour, he won the election.”
On the claim that the 10th Senate is sharply divided between Akpabio’s and Yari’s camps, Senator Kalu said the red chamber became one after the June 13 election, stressing that even Yari understands the need for every Senator to work with Akpabio now that he has emerged as the Senate President.
“There is no pro-Akpabio and no anti-Akpabio. Even Yari himself understands that all the Senators need to work with Akpabio; he is the Senate President.”
