Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has cautioned the incumbent Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, against politicising and trivialising calls for due process in the ongoing controversy involving Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Saraki, in a statement issued by his media office in Abuja and signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, clarified that his recent comments were not aimed at demanding Akpabio’s resignation but were simply in the interest of preserving the integrity of the legislative institution.
The statement was in response to Akpabio’s recent remarks, where he reportedly claimed that certain individuals from Kwara and Adamawa States were plotting to remove him from office because of his Niger Delta origin.
“Dr. Saraki would have ignored such claims as part of the political atmosphere of the moment, but it is important to address the attempt to reduce a serious institutional matter to ethnic and political sentiments,” the statement said.
Saraki emphasized that his original March 1st statement only urged Akpabio to ensure a transparent and credible investigation into the serious allegations of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and abuse of office made by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
He insisted that such allegations, having been made publicly, deserve to be addressed through a sincere and unbiased process in accordance with constitutional provisions, legislative rules, and democratic conventions.
“It is unfair and misleading to interpret Dr. Saraki’s intervention through the lens of ethnicity or political affiliation,” the statement continued, noting that Saraki would have made the same suggestion regardless of Akpabio’s region or party.
The former Senate President stressed that the matter should not be exploited to stir ethnic sentiment or political division, warning that such an approach could damage the credibility of the Senate.
He reiterated that sensitive issues involving harassment and gender-based allegations must be handled with utmost seriousness, transparency, and accountability to ensure justice and uphold public confidence in the National Assembly.
“Dr. Saraki stands by his earlier position that an honest and open investigation is necessary—not just for the individuals involved—but to protect the image of the Senate and reassure the public and international community of its commitment to justice and good governance,” he added