A mild drama erupted in the Senate on Tuesday following a comment by Senator Smart Adeyemi, referring to the Governor of Abia State as a “drunk.”
The senator was contributing to a motion on “Safe School Initiative in Nigeria,” when he referred to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu as a “champaign drinking man”.
Obviously, Adeyemi was reacting to a social media post that had cast an aspersion on Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello. The post was linked to the senate minority leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South.
However, Abaribe expressed surprise at his colleague’s outburst, denying ever making the statement in question.
The Kogi Senator had said that while some Governors like Bello were committed to the welfare and protection of their people, the people of Abia were being governed by “drunkards.”
He said, “Despite that some Governors are doing their best, we are lucky to have a governor who has taken the issue of security as a serious priority.
“We are bordered by nine states but we had an experience of the unfortunate incidents that are happening in neighbouring states.
“Some governors are committed to the protection of their people. In my state, the governor awarded contracts for the renovations of schools and provides security services to them.
“In some states of Nigeria today, where we have highly intelligent people, highly educated people, very enterprising people, like Abia, they are governed by drunkards. The governor of Abia is a champagne drinking man.
“Abia people are impoverished more than ever before. Abia people are unfortunate.”
The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan at this point cautioned Adeyemi against the use of unparliamentary language.
On the other hand, Abaribe expressed surprise over the lawmaker’s comment and urged him to apologize to Ikpeazu.
Abaribe said, “Mr President, I will like to make a clarification. Unfortunately, what has happened here today is one of the problems that you see on social media. I never made any comments on the governor of Kogi State. Never.
“What has happened is what we see going on today. People write something and tag your name to it. And if you don’t ask question, you will not know whether you actually said it or not.
“And I see so many things tag to me but I don’t talk. The last time I saw Nuhu Ribadu, I also spoke to him. Something was tag to his name that was very deleterious.
“I’m very surprised that my good friend and colleague decided to open up on the governor of Abia for something I never said.”
Lawan noted the “air has now been cleared” and enjoined Senator Abaribe to address the motion on the floor.
Abaribe agreed with Lawan but insisted that Adeyemi must apologize to Abia Governor “for the very bad statement he made that had no basis.”
