Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said he did not promise any All Progressives Congress (APC) senator who lost in the party primaries that they would be given return tickets for the next election.
He said his comments were taken out of context and that he only expressed concern for senators that were impacted by the results of the primaries.
There was no report that he had promised to get tickets for anyone.
However, a statement by his media aide, Eseme Sunday Eyiboh, said reports that Akpabio promised senatorial tickets to losing aspirants were untrue. It stated he did not approve or authorise such claims.
The statement added that the Senate President only spoke in a general discussion with his colleagues, where he expressed sympathy over their situation.
It further stated that the leadership of the APC is already addressing issues that arose after the primaries and that the final list of candidates will be in accordance with party’s rules and guidelines.
Akpabio said he also respects party processes and will not interfere in the selection of candidates within the party structure.
The statement read in part, “The attention of the Office of the President of the Senate has been drawn to misleading reports circulating in sections of the media suggesting that the President of the Senate has promised to secure senatorial tickets for Senators who lost their party primaries.
“We must categorically state that this report does not reflect the position of the President of the Senate. For the record, Senator Akpabio has not made any such promise, nor has he authorised anyone to make any such promise.
In the course of interacting with his colleagues the President of the Senate actually said that he empathizes with senators who were negatively affected by the outcome of their primary elections.
He assured them that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was working on all issues arising from the primaries and that the final list of candidates would be released in due course in line with the party’s constitution and electoral guidelines.
Senator Akpabio “is still committed to party discipline, due process and the internal mechanisms of the APC for the resolution of disputes.
“He will not interfere in the autonomous processes of the party or commit himself beyond the scope of the leadership of the National Assembly.”
