For the first time since June 9, 2015, former governor of Akwa Ibom State and Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, explained yesterday why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not produce the Senate president that day.
Akpabio said though the party had the number needed to produce the Senate President on June 9, 2015, following the absence of a substantial number of their colleagues from the All Progressives Congress (APC), PDP decided to put the interest of the nation first.
Akpabio spoke yesterday when Senate held a special session to commemorate its one year anniversary.
He also revealed some of the intrigues that preceded the election of Bukola Saraki as Senate President.
“If we had wanted to take over the Senate, PDP would have done that. We had the chance to take all the positions.
“But, because we were not greedy, we decided to allow APC take over.”
He called on APC senators to express gratitude to PDP for displaying an uncommon show of sportsmanship and said: “We want to assist the APC government to succeed, despite all your efforts not to succeed.
“APC should be grateful to PDP for not taking over the Senate. It was uncommon,”
On the general state of affairs in the country, Akpabio warned that if something urgent was not done, Nigeria could be plunged into crisis.
“In the South-South, people have abandoned their homes because of activities of Niger Delta Avengers. The North is under turmoil.
“The South-East is boiling because of agitation. The South-West is the only peaceful area.
“I want to urge APC to market this country very well. The way APC is saying the country is full of criminals, investors will not come here to invest. They must change the way they talk about Nigeria. Things need to change,” said Akpabio.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, in his remarks, said only God gives power and called on detractors to leave the Red Chamber alone.
