*Altercation festers amid alleged battle for Senate headship in 2027
* Former Edo gov says lawmakers grumbling about Akpabio’s leadership style
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The simmering dispute between Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Adams Oshiomhole escalated at the weekend, with the former governor of Edo State alleging that Akpabio’s defence of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) was driven by personal interests linked to the employment of his daughter in the national oil company.
Speaking on ‘Mic On Podcast’ hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, Oshiomhole accused the Senate president of acting outside established parliamentary procedures in the handling of a recent Senate resolution distancing the Upper Chamber from comments made by the senator during an ongoing investigation into the affairs of NNPC.
The altercation comes amid growing political manoeuvring within the Senate ahead of the 2027 election cycle, with speculation mounting over the future leadership of the National Assembly.
Oshiomhole maintained that Akpabio acted improperly, stressing that the former Akwa Ibom governor had a personal interest in the matter and sought to single him out over comments he made during a Senate committee investigation into the oil company’s operations.
The senator recalled that his remarks arose after remarks by a former NNPC Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Umar Ajiya, who accused lawmakers of wanting to push their own children for employment in the organisation, and stressing that they wouldn’t do so if the national oil company was rotten.
“I think the Senate president has personal interest…Somebody told me that the Senate president’s daughter was taken without going through the regular interview process. That is his own problem,” Oshiomhole said, insisting that his comments were made in his personal capacity as a senator and not on behalf of the Senate.
The former labour leader also defended the controversial recommendation by a Senate committee that a warrant be issued for the arrest of former NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, over his failure to honour invitations to appear before lawmakers investigating audit issues concerning the company.
According to Oshiomhole, Kyari failed to respond to at least nine invitations by the committee and did not provide formal explanations for his absence.
He further stood by his widely criticised statement that Kyari should be brought before the committee “dead or alive”, maintaining that the comment was made within the context of verifying claims that the former NNPC boss was receiving medical treatment abroad and was not intended as a threat.
The senator said the committee had exhausted all available options before recommending a bench warrant and insisted that the power was backed by constitutional provisions governing legislative oversight.
Beyond the immediate controversy, Oshiomhole alleged that powerful interests routinely frustrate legislative investigations involving NNPC.
He recalled a senate committee established to investigate disputes between NNPC and the Dangote Refinery over crude oil supply arrangements, claiming that despite being constituted and approved by the Senate, the panel was never allowed to commence work.
According to him, journalists had warned committee members at the time that no investigation involving NNPC had ever been allowed to reach a logical conclusion, a prediction he said eventually proved correct.
“As we speak, I have not been removed as a member of that committee. That committee has not been dissolved, but that committee was never allowed to sit after all the issues raised…they move around in the night, and then the following day, everywhere is quiet. I don’t want to be part of that tradition,” he emphasised.
The senator suggested that the latest disagreement between him and Akpabio stemmed from efforts to shield the oil company and certain individuals from scrutiny.
Oshiomhole also rejected suggestions that most senators opposed his position, claiming that more than 80 per cent of members supported him and disagreed with the Senate president’s handling of the matter.
The former APC national chairman further hinted at a personal dimension to the dispute, alleging that Akpabio deliberately sought to portray him as a controversial figure.
On whether tensions were linked to growing discussions about the 2027 senate presidency and speculation that he could emerge as a contender for the position, Oshiomhole did not answer directly, but implied that Akpabio already saw him as a threat.
He maintained that leadership positions ultimately depended on divine providence and not political calculations.
Oshiomhole said the senators are complaining about Akpabio’s style of leadership privately, explaining that if the senate president had the chance he would lock him out of the Upper Chamber. “If Akpabio has his way, he would lock me out of the Senate because he has misled himself into thinking that I’m probably the devil he knows,” Oshiomhole stated.
