The Coalition for Parliamentary Democracy (CPD) has called for the resignation of the Senate President, citing the critical state of the nation where unstable leadership is unacceptable.
CPD made this demand in response to allegations from Akpabio’s office, which suggested the involvement of a South-South Governor in a plot to impeach him.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Dr. Menike Johnson, and made available to newsmen on Wednesday, the group urged Akpabio to refrain from shifting blame and instead address the reasons behind his declining support from fellow lawmakers.
The group said, “As Parliamentary watchers, we believe that Senator Akpabio should face the issues raised by his colleagues, including allegations of lack of transparency, violation of elementary rudiments, conventions and processes of presiding over the Senate, diminishing the integrity of the Senate on financial matters and claims of preferentialism in the management of the Senate.
“The attempt to overheat the polity by blaming external individuals is therefore a self-indicting measure that does not provide the much-expected answers to the very critical issue of leadership failure raised by senators against the embattled Senate President.
“Having admitted that he has lost favour with his colleagues and having no answers to the very serious issues raised by the Senators which borders on leadership failure, we counsel Senator Akpabio to save the nation further trouble by stepping down as Senate President.
“Our nation is in a very critical moment and Nigerians cannot afford a Senate that is plagued by an unstable leadership which does not command the loyalty of the lawmakers.”