Akpabio speaks on alleged $15,000 bribe to lawmakers for emergency rule approval

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has said senators did not receive a bribe of $15,000 each to approve the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

Mr Akpabio said this in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Eseme Eyiboh, on Saturday.

The senate president said the claim that the lawmakers were bribed to approve the emergency rule was orchestrated by people who intended to blackmail them.

Mr Akpabio’s comment was in reaction to an exclusive report by Sahara Reporter on Thursday that 45 senators were offered $5,000 each on Tuesday night while 42 of them were given $10,000 each on Wednesday night, the day before the National Assembly voted on the emergency rule proclamation.

According to the report, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, provided the funds to the senate president to rally senators in support of the President Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers.

The report also indicated that senators received the money when they gathered for the Iftar meal, (Breaking of Fast) at Mr Akpabio’s guest house in Maitama, Abuja, to support emergency rule in Rivers.

It added that two senators, Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central) and Neda Imasuen (LP, Edo South) “were key figures involved in organising the payout.

Although, Mr Umeh has since denied the allegation, Mr Imasuen has yet to do so.

Also, Mr Wike has neither denied nor confirmed the report.

I only hosted Iftar – Akpabio

In the statement, Mr Akpabio admitted that some senators visited his Maitama guest house for an Iftar meal, but that no money was shared during the meeting.

“It is true that I confirmed the IFTAR meeting and further asserted that the Distinguished Senate President has always hosted his colleagues of both religious faith in every season of spiritual rebirth.

“There has never existed any reason to share any money in such a solemn meeting and no money in any currency was shared. I have vehemently denied this spurious rumour of sharing any money. The rumour in itself is peddled by the merchants of blackmail enterprise to add flavour to their subsisting hate and malice campaign,” the statement said.

Lawmakers use voice votes to determine matter requiring two-thirds

Beyond the bribery allegations, the manner in which the National Assembly approved the state of emergency also generated criticisms.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the two chambers of the National Assembly used voice votes to approve President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers despite a constitutional provision that mandates two-third majority votes by each chamber for such approval.

Section 305 (6b) of the constitution requires that a state of emergency in any part of Nigeria proclaimed by the president must be supported by “two-thirds majority of all the members of each House of the National Assembly.”

With 109 senators and 360 House of Representatives members, this means at least 73 senators and 240 representatives must vote in favour of the emergency rule.

However, instead of conducting an official roll-call vote where each lawmaker’s stance is recorded, both chambers of the National Assembly adopted a voice vote, a method where lawmakers simply shout “aye” or “nay,” and the presiding officer subjectively determines which side has the majority.

When the motion for the emergency rule was put to a voice vote, no senator openly said “nay,” thus indicating overwhelming approval of the president’s request.

Senators opposing the voice votes

Despite the apparent consensus during the voice vote, some senators have spoken out against the process.

Bayelsa West Senator, Seriake Dickson, walked out of the chamber before the Senate approved the state of emergency declaration because he believed the action was unconstitutional.

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Mr Dickson, a former Bayelsa governor. and a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also noted that he, along with Senators Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto South), Eyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), and a few others, opposed the proclamation but were not allowed an opportunity to debate the issue in plenary.

Ireti Kingibe, the Senator representing Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in a statement on Friday, expressed concerns over the manner in which the approval was handled. She said the proclamation shouldn’t have been approved by mere voice votes.