Akpabio Creates Office For His Wife At The National Assembly

According to sources from SaharaReporters, there is growing discontent among many senators regarding Senate President Akpabio’s decision to establish an Office of the First Lady for his wife, Unoma. This move was not a part of previous legislative assemblies, and it has sparked outrage within the National Assembly.

Akpabio, who currently serves as the 15th President of the Nigerian Senate, assumed office in the 10th Assembly after securing 63 votes, defeating Abdul-Azziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, who secured 46 votes. Prior to his role as Senate President, Akpabio served as a Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District from 2015 to 2019 and also held the position of Minister for Niger Delta Affairs from 2019 to 2022. He had previously served as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015.

It’s worth noting that Akpabio has faced controversies in the past. In August, SaharaReporters reported that fellow senators were displeased with him for revealing in a viral video that they had received bribes during the ministerial screening process. In the video, Akpabio mentioned that an undisclosed sum of money had been deposited into their accounts to facilitate their holiday enjoyment. However, he later retracted his statement and stated that the Senate President had sent prayers to their mailboxes to ensure their safe journeys during the break.

This revelation caused uproar in the Senate, with senators expressing anger over Akpabio’s disclosure of the bribe money. According to sources, each senator received N2 million from Akpabio, who had allegedly received N1 billion from ministerial nominees. Senators viewed this as blackmail and felt embarrassed that the public had learned about how they were incentivized to allow ministerial nominees to proceed without rigorous scrutiny.

In summary, senators are upset with Senate President Akpabio for establishing an Office of the First Lady and for revealing the bribe money they received during the ministerial screening process, which has created controversy and embarrassment for them among their constituents.