By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
Senators at plenary yesterday passed a vote of confidence in the Senate’s leadership, led by its President, Godswill Akpabio.
The resolution followed a motion by a former Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi.
Abdullahi raised a point of order to draw his colleagues’ attention to a news report indicating that northern senators were plotting to impeach Akpabio.
The Senator, who represents Kebbi North Senatorial District, denied his or any member of the Northern Senators Forum’s involvement in the alleged plot.
He said, “I am a senior Northern Senators’ Forum member. I can assure you that there is no caucus among the northern senators to bring discord or any attempt to challenge the unity of what you are doing in the Senate.
“My privilege has been breached. Anybody trying to bring division across any regional line is undermining the progress of our democracy and this institution’s capacity to deliver in the presence of governors of this country.
“Therefore, we must rise and get united under the leadership to ensure that this kind of discourse is wholly negated so that the type of unity that we have forged in the last 18 months can be sustained and fully accomplished.
“I am sure all my colleagues also feel the same. We should be characterized as either promoting or supporting or allowing anybody to bring the leadership of this institution down. I have never in my life associated with anybody to bring or divide any institution along ethnic or traditional lines.
“I think this is the work of some enemies which should be resisted, and all of us should stand united behind the Senate leadership to ensure this institution is preserved.”
In his contribution, Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central in the Red Chamber, said some were being pointed at with accusing fingers, but nothing like that.
Ningi said, “I think it is important for some of us who are probably being seen as the front liners to come out and pass a vote of confidence in the Senate President and the entire leadership.
“I’m very optimistic that this is the way to go. Anybody who wants to create a problem should go out and make it by themselves and not on behalf of the northern senators.
“So, I move that on behalf of northern senators, that we pass a vote of confidence in the leadership of the President and the entire Senate leadership, as we resolve to move as one group, as shown here.”
After a few arguments, some senators amended the prayers to incorporate all the senators in the chambers.
The Senate President, who presided over the plenary, put the prayer to a voice vote, and the majority of the members supported it.
Akpabio, after the confidence vote, commended his colleagues for the confidence they reposed in him.
He said, “On behalf of my brother, the Deputy Senate President, and the entire leadership, I assure you that the cooperation and bond between us and the Senate will continue. No amount of people or social media will come here to break that bond. I thank you for this, and we are very humbled.
“We are confident in this place; in the coming months and years, we will justify the confidence you have placed in us. Thank you.”
