Politicians who openly condemn godfatherism but engage in it privately have come under fire from Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who has stated that personal examples are necessary to establish credibility in the fight against the problem.
At the Nigerian Air Force Conference Centre in Kado, Abuja, on Saturday, Akpabio gave a speech at the book launch of The Burdens of Legislators in Nigeria, authored by former Senator Effiong Bob.
Former Senate President Senator David Mark chaired the occasion.
In response to the event’s godfatherism debates, Akpabio cited what he called inconsistencies in the positions of certain political figures.
Naturally, the son of a well-known senator is also a member of the House of Assembly. I thus answered, “Okay,” when I learned that he opposed godfatherism, Akpabio stated.
He went on to say, “As a first step in demonstrating your opposition to godfatherism, you might remove your son from the House of Assembly.”
The Senate President contended that criticizing godfatherism while purportedly profiting from it is contradictory.
“You can’t practice something on the right while speaking it on the left. If not, that will be equivalent to both approving and reprimanding,” he said.
However, Akpabio admitted that the concerned legislator was doing well in the assembly.
However, let the boy stay. Even his second term in the House is underway. He is currently serving his second term and is one of the House of Assembly’s leaders, he stated.
