Senate President Godswill Akpabio Rejects Claims He Promised Automatic APC Return Tickets to Ousted Lawmakers

The Office of the President of the Senate has strongly debunked widespread reports claiming that Senate President Godswill Akpabio guaranteed automatic return tickets to All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers who lost their bids in the party's recent primary elections.

In a clarifying public statement issued by Akpabio’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, the legislative leadership labelled the narrative a complete misrepresentation of facts. The administration emphasized that Akpabio has neither the statutory power nor the intent to bypass institutional guidelines to handpick electoral candidates.

The controversy arose following a closed-door interactive session where Akpabio spoke with members of the upper legislative chamber. The senate president’s media team insisted that his remarks were strictly intended to offer political solidarity to disappointed colleagues, rather than an official policy shift to alter democratic outcomes.

According to Eyiboh, the Senate President was simply acting as a supportive peer during a tense political cycle.

The official clarification detailed the following realities regarding the interaction:

• A Message of Solidarity: Akpabio's comments were meant purely to empathise with colleagues who fell short during the fiercely contested internal party primaries.
• Adherence to Due Process: Lawmakers were explicitly told that the APC national leadership is working through legitimate internal dispute-resolution channels to review grievances arising from the exercises.
• Institutional Boundaries: The media unit reiterated that the final, validated list of candidates will be released strictly in accordance with the provisions of the APC constitution and established independent electoral guidelines.

The statement concluded by reinforcing Akpabio's firm commitment to institutional discipline and party autonomy. As a senior stakeholder, the Senate President respects the internal mechanisms of the ruling party and will not attempt to interfere with or manipulate sovereign candidate selection processes.

Additionally, the media office took the opportunity to address separate speculative reports regarding defense oversight, firmly clarifying that Akpabio has never opposed necessary legislative scrutiny of the armed forces following recent regional security incidents, viewing robust oversight as a non-negotiable constitutional mandate.