Akpabio’s Condescending Behavior, by Zainab Suleiman Okino

Senate President Godswill Akpabio courts controversy like flies are attracted to sweet things. He behaves like an imperial chief rubbing his good fortune in the faces of the poor in a very condescending manner. Some call it a gaffe. I beg to differ because he is sometimes conscious and intentional in what he does and says, accompanied by those mischievous smiles. I am reminded of the inimitable example of humility by the unsurpassed Chinua Achebe: “Those whose palm kernels have been broken for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.”

It seems that Akpabio does not have humility in his dictionary. Although he was democratically elected, his actions are dictatorial. A colleague of his in the Senate reminded him the other day that he was elected like them, a primus inter pares (first among equals), to underline Akpabio’s dictatorial streak.

Aside from his famous gaffe about money being sent to senators to enjoy recess in front of a live television audience, his recent statement that no one will recognise Nigeria when Tinubu completes his remaining seven years is sycophancy taken to excess. Despite the irony in that statement, because in reality Tinubu has already had a negative impact on Nigeria in one year of his administration, there are other implications, such as talking about the remaining seven years in a supposed four-year term of which one has been spent. This shows a dishonest mindset and the possibility of what could happen during the next election.

Akpabio’s unverified claim that state governors collected ₦30 billion each from Tinubu for the provision of palliatives to their people was eventually retracted. Consider this statement: “There is hunger today because of the policies and actions they have undertaken, and we recognize that, and every political party should recognize that there is hunger, and we are fighting to ensure that Nigerians sleep with their eyes closed.” I honestly don’t understand the point of this statement. Akpabio has been part of governments since 2007. I wonder why he was pointing the finger of blame at others/previous administrations to which he also belonged.

It seems that anything about Tinubu infuriates Akpabio. Faced with anger and hunger in the country, Akpabio, without hesitation or appropriation, said that his Senate will approve President Tinubu’s request to buy another plane, whether Nigerians like it or not. How can a leader be so insensitive?

We all know that the President was instrumental in his becoming President of the Senate. But he should be informed that he is only one of 109 senators representing 200 million people; he is not in the Senate, nor is he President of the Senate in his own right. He is there at the request of the people of this country, even though we know that he was chosen for a purpose, to do the bidding of his masters. Therefore, caution should be his watchword because power is transitory.

…Zainab Suleiman Okino, who is the chair of the Blueprint Editorial Board, is a syndicated columnist. She can be reached at: zainabokino@gmail.com

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