In a fiery press release, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has condemned the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), accusing it of orchestrating a political attack against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. PANDEF claims that the sexual harassment allegations against Akpabio are part of a grander scheme to weaken President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and pave the way for a northern presidency in 2027.
Lambasting ACF for what it calls a “hired political machine”, PANDEF argues that ACF’s statements insinuating bias against northern senators are an outright threat to national unity. It warned that suspensions in the Senate have always been a legislative norm, citing past instances where southern senators faced similar actions under northern leadership without regional bodies interfering.
National Publicity Secretary, Chief Dr. Obiuwevbi Christopher Ominimini in a statement on Tuesday described ACF’s rhetoric as “a call for anarchy and division,” PANDEF has gone a step further by demanding the immediate arrest of ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, Prof. T. A. Mohammad-Baba, by the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Nigerian Police for what it sees as an attempt to incite sectional conflict.
With tensions rising, PANDEF has vowed to convene an emergency meeting to counter what it calls a “political gimmick” against Akpabio and the South-South region.
The group reassures Akpabio of unwavering support, declaring the allegations “dead on arrival” and urging him to stay firm in the face of what it sees as a deliberate political war against southern leadership.
Will this political firestorm reshape the power dynamics ahead of 2027? Only time will tell.
The statement reads,
“It is very sad that the supposed revered Arewa consultative forum, ACF, has turned itself into a political hired machine for politicians. The press release by the publicity Secretary of the ACF is nothing but a political war against the entire people of Southern Nigeria aiming to incite the Northern Nigeria against the Administration of President Bola Amed Tinubu in order to restore power back to Northern Nigeria in 2027.
“In his statements, where he said, “at a period when citizens are being overwhelmed by dire existential living conditions on account of the impact public policies on lives and livelihoods;” shows very clearly that the 2027 Presidential 2nd tenure of President Tinubu is the real target but they have decided to start in parts, starting with those they feel, are the power base of President Tinubu and Southern Nigeria.
“PANDEF therefore states categorically that it is the turn of the Southern Nigeria to produce the Nigeria President in 2027, having done two consecutive tenures by the North under the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari
“The Senate is a well esterblished institution with rules and guide lines. One is glad to read that the ACF knows that this is the 10th Senate of Nigeria, which means that there had been Senate presidents in the past from Norther Nigeria.
“The Senate is a Chamber of Records. For ACF to insinuate that is only Notherners that are being suspended, and called for Northern Senators to rally round one of their own, is a threat to the unity of this country.
“Just to give one example, in the 8th Assembly, a southern Senator from the oil and gas rich region of South South Geopolitical zone, was suspended by a Northern Senate President. The Apex Sociopolitical body of the South South Geo-political zone, PANDEF, never intervened in the activities of the Red Chamber of the National Assembly.
“Neither did we call on the Southern or South South Senators to rally round one of our own. Suspensions and relocation of seats have been the normal things in the business of the legislature.
“Those who feel offended usually go to a competent court of law. That has been the normal practice. What ACF has just done is a call for Arnachy, Division, and a major threat to the unity of Nigeria. In fact, PANDEF hereby calls for the arrest and questioning of the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof T. A. Mohammad-Baba by the Department of Satate Securuty, DSS, and the Nigeria Police.
“Any body who incites one part of the country against another other part of the country is nothing but a pathway to Anarchy and disunity and it is treasonable as the Unity of the Country is under threat by the ACF press release.
“It is very strange and sad to hear as stated by the ACF National Publicity Secretary that “ACF rues the development and hopes that it is not part of the thinly-veiled anti-Arewa agenda now pervading the Nigerian political process.” The question is, where is the anti-Arewa agenda coming from? Is it from Southern Nigeria or within Arewa?
“PANDEF has therefore concluded that this political calculation targeted against the Senate president through this well orchestrated sexual harassment acusation is nothing but a political gimmick to fight back against the South South Geoplolitical zone, the bread winner of Nigeria and the entire Southern Nigeria in the believe of ACF that there is an Anti-Arewa agenda in Nigeria. This political sexual harassment accusation is therefore dead on arrival.
“PANDEF shall, therefore, call for an extra ordinary meeting without delay to look deeper into this dance to the gallery by the ACF
“PANDEF calls on the Senate president to remain resolute and be confident that we his people shall do all good things possible to rally round him in the face of this exposed calculated political attack on his office and person and the Southern Nigeria Led presidency.
“The Senate has its own rules, and ACF can not dictate to the Senate on how to conduct its business.”