Senator Godswill Akpabio
A political pressure group, the National Grassroots Movement (NGM), has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to remove Senate President Godswill Akpabio, describing it as a calculated attempt to destabilise the National Assembly and weaken President Bola Tinubu’s administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group alleged that the move is being masterminded by a prominent senator from the South-South, whom it accused of harbouring ambitions to take over the leadership of the Senate by fomenting crisis within the legislature.
In a statement jointly signed by Hon. Tunde Felix, National Coordinator, and Alhaji Musa Mustapha, National Publicity Secretary, the NGM warned that the alleged scheme poses a serious threat to legislative stability and national governance.
“The National Grassroots Movement raises the alarm over credible political manoeuvres pointing to a well-coordinated scheme aimed at removing the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for selfish and destabilising purposes,” the statement said.
According to the group, the plot is not driven by principles of reform or legislative conscience but by desperation and wounded political ego.
“This scheme is a calculated power grab, fuelled by desperation and the pursuit of political relevance, with the ultimate goal of installing a prominent senator from the South-South as Senate President through orchestrated alliances and sectional manoeuvring,” the NGM alleged.
The group further claimed that the senator behind the move had allegedly lost political confidence within the Presidency and was now seeking relevance by turning the National Assembly into what it described as “a theatre of distraction.”
“The intent is to slow, frustrate, and weaken the reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, at a time when the country requires focus, unity, and decisive leadership,” the statement added.
Defending Akpabio’s leadership, the NGM said the Senate President has provided steady, inclusive, and nationally balanced leadership to the 10th National Assembly, noting that his collaborative relationship with the Executive has helped stabilise governance.
“Senator Akpabio has refused to turn the Senate into an opposition battleground. His leadership has been crucial in sustaining legislative-executive harmony at a critical period for Nigeria,” the group said.
While acknowledging that leadership changes in the National Assembly are constitutionally permissible, the NGM cautioned against what it described as engineered power shifts driven by personal vendettas and sectional calculations.
“Deliberately engineering leadership change through premeditated alliances, ethnic sentiment, or numerical strength—rather than national interest and broad consensus—raises serious concerns about motive and its impact on legislative stability,” it warned.
The group condemned any attempt to weaponise ethnicity or regional influence to seize Senate leadership, stressing that the National Assembly must not become a battleground for personal ambition or fading political relevance.
“Nigerians are watching. Party members are alert. Any attempt to manufacture crisis for narrow ambition will be resisted politically, exposed publicly, and rejected morally,” the statement declared.
The NGM also reminded political actors that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is not a platform for personal vendettas, nor should the National Assembly be used to destabilise a government elected by Nigerians.
Calling for vigilance, the group urged party members, democratic stakeholders, and patriotic Nigerians to reject manipulation and defend institutional integrity.
“The National Grassroots Movement stands resolutely with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the leadership of the 10th National Assembly, and the Tinubu administration. We will mobilise politically and intellectually to defend legislative stability, party unity, and democratic order,” the statement concluded.
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