Let us call a spade a spade and not a garden tool. There is hardly a smoke without an accompanying fire and the ongoing saga the Nigerian Senate in which the Senate President, Dr Godswill Akpabio is at odds with Senator Natasha Akpoti over the Red Chamber’s seating arrangements is being hijacked by forces opposed to the present leadership of the Senate and thus are out to upend it, utilizing all means necessary at their disposable. Regardless of how the imbroglio arose, the Senate President in his customary conciliatory disposition, publicly declared that he has put the matter behind him but this extension of the olive branch is not enough for his traducers who sense an opening to plot his ouster from high office, an objective they have long desired from day one of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.
In the last few days, the print, electronic and social media have been awash with all manners of invectives, insults, and campaign of blackmail and calumny levelled against the office and person of the Senate President, many unprintable, outrageous and even egregious in all its negative manifestations. So-called civil, human and gender rights groups have emerged from nowhere and everywhere calling out the Senate President without regard to the actual facts of the matter.
While it is within their constitutional rights to agitate, crusade and assemble as they see fit, let us not be fooled in not seeing the ongoing campaign for what it truly is; another organised and well-orchestrated attempt to challenge, discredit and ultimately oust the Senate leadership of Dr Godswill Akpabio and install their favoured candidate as Senate President by whatever means at their disposable.
Thus, all right thinking and well-meaning Nigerians should not be hoodwinked into partnering with some of these power-hungry acolytes who believe that power, influence and patronage can only flow from their own section to the detriment of other sections of the country.
Nigeria belongs to all of us, no one is more equal than others, the sacrosanct zoning arrangement should be preserved to give all sections of the nation a sense of faith, hope and belonging in Nigeria.
Thus, while all and sundry are free to exercise their inalienable rights to free speech, association and assembly, we must resist by all legitimate, legal and constitutional means any attempt to oust the incumbent Senate leadership over a storm in a teacup. There are far more pressing issues of national importance that deserve crucial attention and we do not need any unnecessary distractions at this point in time so as to move the country forward in all positive ramifications. Nigerians deserve much more, not less.
To God be the Glory.
COMRADE NAFIU SULEIMAN OF THE NATIONAL INTEREST COALITION WROTE IN FROM GARKI, ABUJA.
