Bamidele, Kalu differ on alleged plot to impeach Akpabio

The Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, on Wednesday dismissed claims suggesting any move to impeach Senate President Godswill Akpabio, describing such reports as unfounded and capable of sowing confusion within the upper chamber.

Bamidele’s clarification followed comments by former Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), who on Tuesday revealed that there had been past, though unsuccessful, attempts by some senators to unseat Akpabio.

Kalu, while speaking with journalists at the National Assembly, had said that efforts to destabilise the Senate leadership failed after key members intervened to preserve unity in the chamber.

He urged lawmakers to focus on legislative stability and national cohesion rather than political scheming.

However, addressing the issue during plenary, Bamidele made it clear that there was never any plan or discussion among senators to remove the Senate President.

“There was no attempt by any of our colleagues, nor any discussion on the possibility of removing the Senate President. We are totally united and have adopted a zero-tolerance policy for distractions because there are urgent matters of national importance demanding our attention. Reports like that are meant to create confusion,” Bamidele said.

“The Senate is stable. There is no crisis, no plan to remove anyone. Our attention is on issues that directly affect Nigerians.”

Bamidele’s rebuttal comes less than 24 hours after Kalu told journalists that some lawmakers had previously attempted to remove Akpabio but were prevailed upon to drop the plan.

“Though there were attempts, we didn’t allow that to happen. That is why I always say we are one big family, and it is not going to happen,” Kalu said.

The former Abia State governor maintained that the Senate’s priority is to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges through people-centered legislation.

“Whatever the problem is, the Senate is more interested in making laws that will help President Tinubu overcome the economic difficulties our people are going through.

“We are more interested in the people. The legislations we are making are pro-people, and we are focused on ensuring Nigerians can eat three times a day,” he added.

The latest controversy revives memories of October 2024, when speculation of a northern senators’ plot to unseat Akpabio forced the chamber to pass a vote of confidence in his leadership.

At the time, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) distanced the Northern Senators’ Forum from any such plan, warning that “those pushing such narratives were undermining the progress of our democracy.”

Since his emergence as Senate President in June 2023,  Akpabio has weathered an unending storm of intrigue, discontent, and veiled plots to oust him from office.

Barely two months after his inauguration, rumours surfaced of an impeachment plot. Some lawmakers accused Akpabio of running the Senate as an appendage of the executive, alleging he was too subservient to the Presidency.

Though he dismissed the claims as politically motivated, the incident exposed the early cracks within the 10th Assembly.

By October 2024, the chamber was again awash with reports that the Department of State Services had taken over the National Assembly Complex to prevent Akpabio’s removal, a claim he branded as “fake news.”

Yet, even after the Senate’s media office issued denials, whispers of rebellion persisted.

Tension peaked in July 2025 when Akpabio reportedly clashed with Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele during a closed-door session over the unilateral announcement of the Senate’s annual recess.

Sources said the disagreement reflected a deeper unease among lawmakers over Akpabio’s leadership style.

Though Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu dismissed the report as “baseless and misleading,” insiders confirmed that tempers indeed flared during the session.

The July incident was not the first time Akpabio and Bamidele were rumoured to have disagreed.

Similar reports had surfaced in November 2024 about a near-physical confrontation between both men—claims swiftly denied by Bamidele’s office.

At the core of the persistent friction lies a struggle for influence, regional balance, and legislative autonomy.

Akpabio’s closeness to President Bola Tinubu has earned him both loyalty and suspicion. To his supporters, it represents needed harmony between the executive and legislature; to his critics, it is proof of overreach by the presidency. (Punch)