Senate President Godswill Akpabio has disclosed that his greatest fear while serving as Governor of Akwa Ibom was the State House of Assembly.
Akpabio made this revelation on Friday while speaking at a public lecture and book launch organized to celebrate the birthday of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining a good relationship with the legislative leadership, stating that “every wise governor or the President like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must fashion a way to hold the leadership of the legislature closely.”
He narrated his experience as Governor, saying, “For those of you who may not understand politics, we were taught that the parliament can turn a woman into a man and a man into a woman. As a governor, my greatest fear was my House of Assembly.”
“So because of that I never travelled anywhere without my Speaker. Any time I didn’t see him for a day I would send somebody to his house to invite him to come and have lunch with me and I would look at his face to know whether he was happy with me or not.
“The only place that can hurt a governor is the House of Assembly and no court or democracy can stop that from happening. Any President that wants to survive like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu must hold the speaker and the Senate President very closely, the way he is holding us,” he added.
In an apparent reaction to the face-off between Wike and his successor, Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, Akpabio commended the celebrant’s ability to reconcile quickly after any disagreements, saying “Nobody in his senses would sustain a quarrel with Wike.”
He praised Wike’s contributions to Nigeria’s political landscape, stating that they “are indelible. The bridges you’ve built stand as a testament to your commitment to progress and unity.”
