Senator Adams Oshiomhole has alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio is biased against him, claiming the Senate leader views him with suspicion and is uncomfortable with his influence among lawmakers.
Speaking during an appearance on Mic On Podcast, the senator representing Edo North said Akpabio often becomes uneasy whenever he interacts with colleagues in the upper chamber.
According to Oshiomhole, the Senate President would exclude him from Senate activities if given the opportunity.
“Everybody in the Senate knows that if Senator Akpabio had his way, he would lock me out of the Senate because he has misled himself into thinking that I am probably the devil he knows. There are many angels he doesn’t know,” he said.
The former Edo State governor said he could not explain the reason behind what he described as Akpabio’s bias, despite his longstanding role in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Oshiomhole noted that he was a founding governor of the APC and served as deputy director-general of President Bola Tinubu’s campaign council during the 2023 presidential election.
“I’m not saying I am responsible for the victory, but I worked for it, and I’m happy we got it,” he added.
The lawmaker also claimed that many senators were dissatisfied with Akpabio’s leadership style, predicting that the next Senate would operate differently from the current one.
“The 11th Senate will not be like the 10th. Senators are grumbling about his style of leadership,” Oshiomhole said.
He maintained that despite the alleged tensions, he had repeatedly assured the Senate President that he had no personal ambitions beyond serving his constituents.
Oshiomhole further cited an incident involving Senator Abdulaziz Yari, alleging that Akpabio once joked that Yari’s interest in serving as vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior was part of a plan to remove him from office.
According to him, the Senate President remains accountable to fellow lawmakers because leadership positions in the chamber are determined by the collective will of senators.
“Only the persons favoured by senators are elected,” he said, noting that Senator Yari could have emerged as Senate President had he secured majority support.
The comments are likely to fuel fresh discussions about internal dynamics within the Senate and the relationship between key figures in the leadership of the National Assembly.
