By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has said that the Senate will tinker with the constitution to allow the Supreme Court’s judgement on local government autonomy to be implemented.
According to a statement by his Special Assistant Media, Jackson Udom, Akpabio stated this yesterday when he received members of the All Progressives Congress APC in Akwa Ibom State.
His guests were the loyalists of the party’s erstwhile Interim National Secretary, Senator James Akpanudoedehe, in Uyo.
Akpabio, in the statement, said, “I thank President Bola Tinubu for looking for a way to give the local governments the much-needed autonomy through the intervention of the Supreme Court.
“Under my leadership, the Senate will tinker with the constitution to ensure that the judgment is fully implemented without any loopholes for manipulation by the practitioners.”
Shortly before its members proceeded on the current long vacation, the Senate passed the Senate passed a bill for the establishment of the National Independent Local Government Electoral Commission for first reading for first reading.
The proposed legislation, which was sponsored by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), was aimed at saddling the Commission with the responsibility of conducting elections for the 774 local governments in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
It was titled “Local Government Independent Electoral Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2024 (SB. 531).”
The Commission shall consist of a Chairperson and six commissioners, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
Akpanudoedehe, former APC scribe, had defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) after losing out on the party’s leadership.
Akpabio said he was ready to accommodate his guests in all the party activities in the state.
He said, “The only thing permanent in life is change. Before I joined the APC, the party had never won a councillorship seat in the state, and I joined the party in 2018. Then, the party leaders saw me as an enemy.
“During the 2019 elections, the APC worked against the APC. We had the best chance to win the governorship and other elections in the state, but the then-leaders refused to see it from that angle.
“I joined the APC so that we would be linked to the center, and I thank God today that that dream finally came to pass in 2023.
“I am today the President of the Senate, through the grace of God Almighty, the support of President Bola Tinubu and my distinguished colleagues who elected me.
“God knew that I meant well for our people, so he elevated me to the President of the Senate.
“When you raise people, your hands remain up, and when you bring people down, your hands will also be down. So follow the person you know on the road.
“On behalf of the party leadership, I welcome you back. I am happy that you have all returned to the party where you belonged. Now that you are back, May God bless you and grant the progressive desires of your hearts.” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the returnees, Eteubong Alex Umoh, Obong Kufre Akpan, and Mrs Roseline Eyang said they did not leave the party when their leaders defected to the NNPP.
Umoh said, “We always stayed in the APC. We never joined any other party because we know you are the party’s leader in the state.
“We all recognize the President of the Senate as our leader in the state. We refused to be weapons of war in the hands of anybody against you and the party leadership. We are happy that we are all here today. The APC has no division because we are now one united family.”
