Senator Godswill Akpabio, the previously-retired Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, has explained why Senate President Ahmad Lawan is opposed to his attempt to succeed him as the head of the 10th National Assembly.

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Akpabio disclosed that Lawan had bribed some senators to oppose his campaign for Senate President by going to Bola Tinubu, the incoming president.

The former Senate Minority Whip claimed in a media interview that Lawan led a team to Tinubu to attack him.

He said, despite the “antics of Lawan and his co-travelers, I remain the main person to beat, and I am in the race to win.

“No one can discredit me before the president-elect, who knows me very well and can vouch for my integrity. Senator Lawan and his cohorts are merely wasting their time.”

He revealed that he visited Lawan in his residence shortly after the Senate president met with Tinubu for a possible truce.

The former Akwa Ibom State Governor said he was accompanied to the parley by Senators Opeyemi Bamidele, Solomon Olamilekan, Jibrin Barau, and Tokunbo Abiru but that Lawan rebuffed all pleas for peace.

Revealing what transpired at Lawan’s residence, Akpabio said, “Myself, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, Sen. Barau Jibrin. Sen. Yayi (Solomon Olamilekan) and Sen. TOS (Tokunbo Abiru) all prostrated and pleaded with him (Lawan) to forgive whatever mistakes or misgivings he felt I had committed and to support the aspiration.

“Well, he bluntly refused and said instead, he would support a first-term senator from south/south or sponsor anyone else for the SP job. One of us reminded him of the case of (name withheld), who denigrated the entire institution during proceedings in the 8th Senate.”