Arise Television Morning Show anchor, Rufai Oseni, has explained why Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, reportedly rejected being addressed as Nigeria’s acting President while President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima were out of the country.
NEWSNGR reports that Oseni said Akpabio’s decision to distance himself from the title raised questions about the National Assembly’s willingness to assert its constitutional powers as an arm of government.
He spoke on Monday while analysing the implications of Tinubu’s prolonged absence from the country.
Oseni argued that Nigerians should not expect the National Assembly to mount a strong challenge against the executive, citing its previous support for the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
He questioned whether Akpabio could effectively lead the legislature in confronting the executive, stressing that the National Assembly was constitutionally designed to operate as a co-equal arm of government.
He said, “So, if you think that this National Assembly will speak up and fight for you. It’s either you’re delusional, or you don’t read the news.
“You’re talking about the National Assembly standing up to challenge the president. Is it not the same National Assembly that endorsed a state of emergency to settle a political squabble in a state, Rivers State in the country?
“A political godfather and godson were fighting, the president looked first the option, state of emergency, and it should be on record. The same National Assembly endorsed it. How did they endorse it? Voice votes.”
Oseni also referred to comments by Akpabio distancing himself from the description of acting President while Tinubu and Shettima were outside Nigeria.
According to the broadcaster, some political associates of the Senate President had begun referring to him as acting President, prompting Akpabio to publicly clarify his position.
He said, “Is it Mr. Akpabio that was busy going about to even exonerate himself to say ‘I’m not the acting president. Don’t call me acting president.’
“This was because while President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima were away, some of the political surrogates of Akpabio were already calling him acting president.
“So he needed to exonerate himself, and you know what that means.
“He was already causing problems. The top echelon, they had already started looking at acting presidents. So he had to quickly clarify that.”
Oseni further questioned whether the Senate President could lead the National Assembly in asserting its constitutional independence while also distancing himself from the acting-presidency controversy.
He said the legislature was expected to function independently of the executive under the principle of separation of powers.
“So you think it is that same man that will effectively lead a co-equal arm of government?
“You see, we forget that they are supposed to be a co-equal arm of government.
“I’m sure people that wrote about these things, the Montesquieus of this world that wrote about the separation of power, they will turn in their grave when they see the way it’s being done in Nigeria,” Oseni said.
