The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has strongly opposed demands for Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s resignation following sexual harassment allegations made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
CAN, through its chairman for the 19 Northern states and the FCT, Rev. Joseph Hayab, described the situation as “shameful and unfortunate” and urged national elders to step in and mediate to safeguard the integrity of the National Assembly.
“There is a need for elders to step in. Akpabio and Natasha have people they respect and highly regard. Members of the National Assembly must take responsibility in handling this matter,” CAN emphasized during a media briefing in Kaduna.
The religious body dismissed calls for Akpabio’s resignation as premature and unwarranted, emphasizing that no concrete evidence has been established against him.
“Any group calling for Akpabio’s resignation should desist, as no one has been proven guilty in this matter. Taking sides will only escalate tensions. Allegations of sexual harassment must be handled with fairness and sobriety,” CAN added.
CAN also cautioned the media against sensational reporting, warning that it could deepen national divisions along gender and regional lines. It urged political leaders to focus on governance, stressing that the passage of the 2025 national budget should remain the lawmakers’ priority.
PANDEF Blasts ACF for Politicizing Allegations
Meanwhile, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has accused the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) of exploiting the allegations against Akpabio to advance a political agenda aimed at discrediting Southern leaders and shifting power back to the North in 2027.
In a statement, PANDEF’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Obiuwevbi Ominimini, criticized ACF’s claim of bias against Northern senators, calling it an attempt to incite regional tensions and undermine President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“The ACF’s statement is nothing but a political attack on Southern Nigeria. For them to suggest that only northerners are being suspended and to call on northern senators to unite is a direct threat to national unity,” Ominimini said.
He recalled that in the 8th Assembly, a Southern senator was suspended under a Northern Senate President without PANDEF interfering in legislative affairs.
“The Senate follows rules and regulations. Suspensions and disciplinary actions have always been part of legislative proceedings. Anyone who feels aggrieved can seek legal redress. What ACF has done is an open call for division and a threat to Nigeria’s stability,” PANDEF stated.
The group further condemned what it described as an attempt to create a false “anti-Arewa” narrative and called on security agencies to interrogate ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, over what it deemed inflammatory statements.
As CAN urges restraint and PANDEF warns against political manipulation, the controversy surrounding Akpabio continues to spark heated national debate, raising concerns about governance, unity, and the influence of politics in legislative matters
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