US proposes 'bridge' to extend Gaza ceasefire, White House says

The United States is proposing a "bridge" plan to extend the ceasefire in Gaza into April beyond Ramadan and Passover and allow time to negotiate a permanent cessation of hostilities, the White House said in a statement on Friday.

The proposal was presented on Wednesday by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Council official Eric Trager, according to a statement issued by their offices.

"Through our Qatari and Egyptian partners, Hamas was told in no uncertain terms that this “bridge” would have to be implemented soon — and that dual U.S.-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander would have to be released immediately," it added.

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Putin urges Kiev to order troops in Kursk Region to surrender

Moscow is “sympathetic” to US President Donald Trump’s request that the lives of the Ukrainian troops encircled in Russia’s Kursk Region be spared, President Vladimir Putin said during a National Security Council meeting on Friday. Russia will guarantee their lives if they lay down their arms, he added.

Earlier in the day, Trump urged Putin to preserve the lives of the “thousands of Ukrainian troops" who are "completely surrounded by the Russian military.”
“This would be a horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
Putin responded that he was aware of Trump’s request, adding that Russia was willing to consider it. “If they lay down their arms and surrender, [we] will guarantee them their lives and dignified treatment in accordance with international law and Russian legal norms,” the president said.

The Russian leader pointed out that Kiev’s forces had committed “numerous crimes against civilians” during their incursion into Kursk Region and that the Russian law enforcement authorities were treating their actions as “terrorism.” 
For the US president’s call to be “effectively heeded,” Kiev must order its troops to lay down their arms, Putin stated.

Kiev launched a major offensive into the Kursk area in August 2024, capturing the town of Sudzha and dozens of villages. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky said the incursion across the two countries' internationally recognized border was an attempt to gain leverage for future peace talks.
The Ukrainian advance was quickly halted by the Russian military, which has been gradually reclaiming ground ever since. As of Wednesday evening, Moscow’s forces had liberated 86% of the territory occupied by Ukraine in August 2024, according to the head of the Russian General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov. The remaining Ukrainian units in the area are largely “encircled” and “isolated,” he explained, without providing any specific figures about the number of troops surrounded.

Putin had earlier named the fate of the Ukrainian troops in Kursk Region as one of key issues to address before any deal on a ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev can be reached.

Speaking on Thursday, the president said that Russia supports the idea of a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US but emphasized the need for further discussions with Washington to resolve specific concerns.

Kiev has so far not commented on Putin’s call. Earlier, the Ukrainian General Staff dismissed the reports about Kiev’s troops being surrounded in Kursk Region as “political manipulation” by Russia.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine's Zelenskiy says there is now a good chance to end war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that he saw a good chance to end the war with Russia after Ukraine accepted a U.S. proposal for a 30-day interim ceasefire and Moscow said it would only agree if certain conditions were met.

"Right now, we have a good chance to end this war quickly and secure peace. We have solid security understandings with our European partners," Zelenskiy said on X.

"We are now close to the first step in ending any war – silence," he said, referring to a truce.

Speaking to reporters, Zelenskiy urged the U.S. and other allies to apply pressure on Moscow, reiterating his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin will delay reaching a ceasefire as long as possible.

"If there is a strong response from the United States, they will not let them play around. And if there are steps that Russia is not afraid of, they will delay the process," Zelenskiy told media.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

He said that the ceasefire along a more than 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) frontline could be controlled with U.S. help via satellites and intelligence. Washington resumed intelligence sharing and military aid after U.S. and Ukrainian officials met in Saudi Arabia this week and Ukraine accepted the ceasefire.

Zelenskiy also said that officials at that meeting discussed the issue of territory, but a difficult dialog would be required to resolve it.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

"The issue of territories is the most difficult after the ceasefire," Zelenskiy said at a media briefing.

With the war is in its fourth year, Russian forces control nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory and they have steadily advanced in the eastern Donetsk region in recent months.

"The ceasefire unblocks the way for the sides to end the war. And the territories ... will be the point that makes it possible to end the war after this issue is resolved," the Ukrainian president said.

Moscow has demanded that Kyiv permanently cede territory claimed by Russia including Crimea and four other regions, a position Ukraine has rejected.

Zelenskiy said he was discussing with Kyiv's allies future security guarantees and also economic support, adding that 100% air defence cover would required as deterrence in a peace deal.

RT/Reuters

On Thursday, senators “overwhelmingly”, or rather, shamelessly, passed a vote of confidence in the Senate president, Godswill Akpabio, despite the sexual harassment allegation levelled against him by Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Nigerians have still not recovered from the shame displayed in how votes are taken in the Senate, as the viral video of the voice vote episode continues to circulate. The Senate president had proposed a motion that after Natasha’s six-months suspension, she would still have to apologise before she might be re-admitted into the Senate. He called for the voice vote and the overwhelming majority said “NAY.” He decided they did not hear him well and repeated the motion, again, the majority said “NAY.” The same thing happened the third time when the almighty Senate president decided to announce that the “Ayes” have it.

The meaning of this incident is clear. Senators have had their mandates confiscated by Akpabio and whatever he decides to announce is the absolute law in the upper chamber. The Senate is the highest expression of political tyranny in contemporary Nigeria, where the “distinguished” are not allowed to vote against a decision of their tyrant.

There was, therefore, no surprise that the Senate passed the vote of confidence on the tyrant that runs it. I was, however, surprised that the members of the upper chamber had the temerity to urge Nigerians not to allow the allegations of sexual harassment against their tyrant serve as a distraction from the legislative responsibilities of the Assembly. What sense of responsibility have they portrayed to expect respect from Nigerians. Meanwhile, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a brave warrior who had accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, had also reported the matter, along with her suspension from the Senate, to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

I believe that the evidence is clear that the Nigerian Senate’s decision to suspend Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months is an unconstitutional move that undermines democracy and sets a dangerous precedent for legislative governance. The suspension of an elected senator contradicts Sections 68 and 69 of the 1999 Constitution, which clearly outline the lawful processes for a legislator to lose their seat. Section 68(1) & (2) states that a legislator’s seat can only be declared vacant under specific circumstances such as resignation, defection, conviction, or recall by constituents through the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Section 69 stipulates that the recall process is the only constitutional means for removing an elected legislator, making the Senate’s decision legally baseless. By suspending Natasha, the Senate has effectively denied the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District their right to representation, an action that constitutes an abuse of power.

Many judicial rulings have consistently declared legislative suspensions unlawful. They include key cases such as Honourable Dino Melaye v House of Representatives (2009), where the Federal High Court ruled that legislative chambers lack the authority to suspend elected members. “In Ali Ndume v Senate President & Ors (2018), the Court of Appeal nullified the senator’s suspension, reinforcing the principle that lawmakers cannot be arbitrarily removed by their peers. Similarly, House of Assembly v Hon. Danna (2003) established that only the judiciary or the electorate have the power to remove an elected official. The Senate is knowledgeable about these rulings but deliberately decided to disregard the law simply because the Senate president is angry with a colleague that has accused him of sexual harassment. There has been a lot of grumblings within the Senate but the cowardly members simply don’t have the balls to challenge the tyranny they are subjected to by their own leadership.

A majority of members appear to oppose the reckless behaviour of their bosses but are afraid of losing their privileges. They know that they should have questioned the impartiality of the Senate president, Akpabio, in handling the matter in which he is the main accused person but did nothing. Even more troubling is the decision the Senate’s Ethics Committee, clearly influenced by the leadership, to dismiss the allegations of sexual harassment against Akpabio without a fair and neutral review. By so doing, they violate Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to a fair hearing.

It is important to recall the case of the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly versus Hon. Rifkatu Samson Danna (2017). This classic case defined the issue of suspending a legislator from his/her functions in a clear manner. The following are the facts of the case: The Respondent in that case was a member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly and she was suspended indefinitely. She filed a Suit at the Bauchi State High Court questioning the Resolution of the House. Judgment was delivered in her favour; the House contested the judgement at the Court of Appeal, which however affirmed the decision of the High Court. The Court of Appeal stated that the lawmaker, not being an employee of the House, can neither be suspended nor have her entitlements i.e. salary and other allowances, withheld.

The court, while taking its decision on the provision of section 111 of the 1999 Constitution, stated that: “The fixing of salaries and wages of the respondent lies within the province of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission under section 111 of the constitution, certainly not the 1st and 2nd appellants. The 1st and 2nd appellants have no right to interfere with the salaries and allowances of the respondent serving as a member of Bauchi State House of Assembly. No Rules or Standing Order of Bauchi State House of Assembly can derogate these rights and privileges conferred on an elected member of the House of Assembly…” The Court further had this to say about the illegality of the suspension:

”Any member of the Bagoro constituency could have timeously challenged the indefinite suspension of their choice representative in the Bauchi State House of Assembly on the grounds that their accrued rights had been violated or breached by the appellants. The conduct of the appellants is the tyranny of the majority against an elected minority of the Bauchi State House of Assembly. Peers of a legislator who suspend the members are deliberately committing the anti-democratic crime of depriving the said member’s constituency from representation in the legislature where they have been legitimately elected by voters.”

Finally, the principle of Nemo Judex in Causa Sua (no one should be a judge in their own case) has been completely disregarded in this matter on the unconstitutional punishments meted out to Natasha. The idea of sending out legislators who oppose the ruling party is a very direct threat to democracy and we as citizens should not allow the legislature to be turned into a tyrannical chamber that blindly supports it leadership, even if the support is under duress.

Women are grossly under-represented in Nigeria’s governance structures and to zero-in on both the sexual and political harassment of a female legislator is a disservice to our democracy. Such action has legitimised attacks on the freedom of expression, encouraged intimidation, and institutionalised sexual harassment in public spaces. All enlightened opinion cannot but demand the immediate reinstatement of Natasha and a stop to reckless intimidation and harassment of legislators in the opposition but also those in the ruling party who are terrorised into silence.

** A professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES.

PT

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has revealed that he knows individuals who paid to secure ministerial appointments under President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) government. Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, El-Rufai expressed his disappointment with the current state of the APC, stating that the party has deviated from its founding principles and become a platform for personal gain rather than public service.

El-Rufai, who recently left the APC to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), clarified that his decision to exit the party was not due to his failure to secure a ministerial position. Instead, he attributed his departure to the APC’s abandonment of its core values and its transformation into a commercialized entity where "everything has a price tag." He lamented that the party no longer recognizes or rewards those who contributed to its success, with key appointments now being controlled by a select group from Lagos.

"It could have been easier for me if the APC sacked me because that would have saved me from explaining the stress of why I left the party," El-Rufai said. "I did not leave the APC; the party abandoned me and its original ideals. The APC has become a business enterprise where personal interests dominate governance."

El-Rufai also addressed speculation that he left the party because he was not considered for a ministerial role, stating, "Did I even seek to be a minister? I know people who paid to get ministerial appointments." He emphasized that while he does not regret supporting Tinubu’s presidential ambition, he feels disappointed by the way he has been treated and the direction the party has taken.

Before leaving the APC, El-Rufai consulted several prominent political figures, including former President Muhammadu Buhari, Tunde Bakare, Abdullahi Adamu, Adams Oshiomhole, and Bisi Akande. He sought their opinions and blessings, particularly from Buhari, whom he described as the "father of the land." Buhari reportedly gave him his blessings and prayers for his political journey.

El-Rufai further criticized the APC for sidelining him and other dedicated members, stating that he was not involved in party activities and was completely marginalized. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the current administration’s policies, claiming that they do not align with the plans he and others had envisioned when the party was formed.

"The party is dead," El-Rufai declared. "Justice has been kept at bay, and those who worked for the party are ignored instead of being compensated. Appointments are now controlled by a select group from Lagos. We’ve given up on the APC."

El-Rufai’s remarks highlight growing discontent within the APC and raise questions about the integrity of the appointment process under Tinubu’s administration. His decision to join the SDP marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s political landscape, as one of the APC’s prominent figures publicly denounces the party and its current leadership.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, met with Bala Mohammed, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, at the Government House in Bauchi on Thursday. The meeting has sparked widespread speculation about potential political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election, with both leaders emphasizing the need for a united opposition to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

During the closed-door meeting, Mohammed declared Obi the "face of opposition politics in Nigeria," praising his political vision and governance style. "Whether we like it or not, he is now the face of opposition politics in Nigeria," Mohammed stated. He expressed his readiness to collaborate with Obi to build a formidable opposition focused on good governance and national unity.

"I want to say clearly that I am ready to work with Peter Obi. We must come together to bring good governance, offer a vibrant opposition with vision and strategy, and rescue this country from mediocrities parading themselves as leaders," Mohammed said. He added that his fellow PDP governors support such alliances, signaling a potential realignment of opposition forces ahead of the 2027 elections.

Obi, for his part, described the meeting as part of broader consultations aimed at addressing Nigeria’s pressing challenges, particularly in the North. He highlighted poverty as a root cause of insecurity and urged political leaders to prioritize economic policies that uplift citizens. "All of you know where we are today as a country. We must talk about the issues affecting the North because the North is a critical component in getting Nigeria on the right path," Obi said. "When people talk about criminality in Nigeria, especially in the North, I tell them the real issue is poverty. Until we address poverty, we cannot solve criminality."

The meeting comes amid growing discussions about a coalition of opposition parties to challenge the APC in the 2027 presidential election. Obi, who resigned from the PDP in 2022 citing internal party issues, has not confirmed any plans to return to the party but has expressed openness to a coalition focused on governance rather than merely seizing power. "I am open to the idea of a coalition, but only one focused on governance," Obi has previously stated.

The discussions between Obi and Mohammed also touched on national issues, including political developments in Rivers State and the state of opposition politics in Nigeria. Mohammed hinted that the meeting was a step toward building a strategic alliance that could reshape Nigeria’s political landscape.

The meeting follows recent political developments, including Nasir El-Rufai’s departure from the APC and his pledge to unite opposition leaders against the ruling party.

As coalition talks intensify, the meeting between Obi and Mohammed underscores the growing momentum for opposition unity and the potential for significant political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.

Hamas official welcomes Trump’s apparent retreat on call to displace Gazans

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem welcomed on Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump’s apparent retreat from his proposal for a permanent displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, urging him to refrain from aligning with the vision of the "extreme Zionist right."

The statement by the Hamas official came after Trump said on Wednesday that "nobody is expelling any Palestinians from Gaza" in response to a question during a meeting in the White House with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.

"If US President Trump's statements represent a retreat from any idea of displacing the people of the Gaza Strip, they are welcomed," Qassem said in the statement.

"We (Hamas) call for this position to be reinforced by obligating the Israeli occupation to implement all the terms of the ceasefire agreements."

Last month, Trump proposed a U.S. takeover of Gaza where Israel's military assault in the last 17 months has killed tens of thousands, after he earlier suggested that Palestinians in the enclave should be permanently displaced.

On Sunday, Taher Al-Nono, political adviser to the leader of Hamas, confirmed unprecedented, direct talks with Washington in the Qatari capital over the past week, focusing on the release of an American-Israeli dual national being held by the militant group in Gaza.

He added that the meetings between Hamas leaders and U.S. hostage negotiator Adam Boehler had also discussed how to see through the implementation of the phased agreement aimed at ending the Israel-Gaza war.

Israel and Hamas signaled on Saturday they were preparing for the next phase of ceasefire negotiations, as mediators pushed ahead with talks to extend a 42-day truce that began in January.

A Hamas delegation met in the past two days with Egyptian mediators and reaffirmed its readiness to negotiate the next phase of the ceasefire. Israel sent negotiators to Doha on Monday for ceasefire talks.

The discussions between Boehler and Hamas have broken with a decades-old policy by Washington against negotiating with groups that the U.S. brands as terrorist organisations.

The Islamist militant group carried out a cross-border raid into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering a devastating war in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.

Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Putin lists guarantees Moscow wants for 30-day ceasefire

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed support for a potential 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict but has raised concerns regarding how such a truce be implemented. Speaking on Thursday, Putin warned of potential loopholes and strategic disadvantages. 

“We also want guarantees that during the 30-day ceasefire, Ukraine will not conduct mobilization, will not train soldiers, and will not receive weapons,” Putin said during a press briefing with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow.

The president pointed out that Russian troops are advancing along nearly 2,000 kilometers of frontline, and halting military actions could disrupt ongoing operations. Ukrainian forces could use a ceasefire period to regroup, receive more weapons, and train fresh recruits, he warned.

“These 30 days — how will they be used? To continue forced mobilization in Ukraine? To receive more arms supplies? To train newly mobilized units? Or will none of this happen?” Putin asked.

Enforcing a ceasefire over such a vast battlefield would be difficult, he added, violations could be easily disputed, leading to a blame game between both sides. Systems of “control and verification” to monitor a ceasefire are not in place but should be agreed.

Putin also mentioned that Ukrainian troops who invaded Russia’s Kursk Region in August 2024 are now cut off. What is to be done with them in the event of a truce is unclear, he noted. 

“Are we supposed to let them out, after they committed mass war crimes against civilians? Will the Ukrainian leadership tell them to lay down their arms, and just surrender?” Putin said.

As of Wednesday evening, Moscow’s forces have regained control of 86% of the territory that was occupied by Ukrainian forces in August 2024, according to the head of the Russian General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov. Kiev’s remaining units in the area have been largely “encircled” and “isolated,” he claimed.

Putin suggested that discussions with his American counterpart Donald Trump will be necessary to find a viable solution.

“The idea of ending the conflict through peaceful means is something we support,” he stressed.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Putin says Ukrainians face choice of 'surrender or die' as Russia tightens squeeze in Kursk

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia had trapped the remaining Ukrainian soldiers in its western Kursk region, where they have clung on for more than seven months in one of the key battles of the war.

A day after instructing his top commanders to complete the ejection of Ukrainian forces as fast as possible, Putin told a news conference that the situation in Kursk was "completely under our control, and the group that invaded our territory is in isolation".

Ukraine's top commander denied this week that his men were being encircled, but said they were adopting better defensive positions. Its general staff said on Thursday that five Russian attacks had been repelled and clashes were continuing in four locations.

A Russian war correspondent reported heavy Ukrainian artillery fire on the town of Sudzha, which Russia recaptured on Wednesday. Maps published by Deep State, an authoritative Ukrainian source that charts the frontlines of the war, showed a dramatic shrinking of Ukrainian-held territory in the past week but little change in the past 24 hours.

Putin said Ukrainian soldiers were cut off inside the invasion zone. "And if a physical blockade occurs in the coming days, then no one will be able to leave at all, there will be only two ways - to surrender or die."

Ukraine's surprise incursion into Kursk last August aimed to embarrass Putin, divert Russian forces from elsewhere on the front lines and grab land to trade for its own captured territory. Its troops were the first to invade Russia since Adolf Hitler's army in 1941.

But Russia's forces, supported by troops from its ally North Korea, have gradually clawed back the lost ground, intensifying pressure on Ukraine in the past week by cutting supply lines.

Putin's growing confidence was reflected in a surprise visit on Wednesday to commanders in Kursk, when he told them to finish the job "in the shortest possible timeframe".

Putin, who rarely dons military uniform, was shown on TV in camouflage fatigues - a pointed signal to the West of Russia's military resolve as it weighs up a 30-day ceasefire plan proposed by the United States and supported this week by Ukraine.

CEASEFIRE 'NUANCES'

At his news conference, Putin said Russia supported the idea of a ceasefire, but with the caveat that it should lead to a long-term peace and eliminate the root causes of the conflict.

He said there were a number of "nuances", including in Kursk, where a truce would be "very good" for the Ukrainian side.

"If we stop hostilities for 30 days, what does that mean? That everyone who is there will leave without a fight? Should we let them out of there after they have committed a lot of crimes against civilians? Or will the Ukrainian leadership give us the order to lay down our arms? It is not clear."

Ukraine denies committing such crimes, says it abides by humanitarian law and does not target civilians.

The Russian Defence Ministry said earlier that its forces were pounding remaining Ukrainian positions after capturing three more settlements including Sudzha, which is located near the border with Ukraine and lies on a road that Kyiv had used to resupply its forces.

Video from Sudzha, published by Russian media and military bloggers, showed scenes of devastation from the seven months of fighting, with burnt-out vehicles, roofless buildings and mountains of rubble.

RT/Reuters

Many years ago, when my teacher said nothing sells like sex, crime, and money, I didn’t fully understand what he meant. Yet, over the years, I’ve repeatedly seen that a judicious mix of these socio-economic ingredients is a spellbinder.

Apart from the tragic news about banditry, the suspense in Rivers State, and the heightened prostitution amongst politicians crossing carpet or finding new harems, nothing has hugged the headlines as relentlessly as the salacious tango between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

After weeks of trying to see, hear, and say no evil, I’m compelled to overcome the temptation of abstaining by yielding. It’s not an easy road, believe me – not for those genuinely trying to make sense of it, not for the busybodies and certainly not for the parties involved.

Managing their libido

It's heartbreaking that despite the perennial underperformance of the legislature, managing the libido of its menfolk has piled on the hazards we must endure.

But it’s not a Nigerian thing, if that is any comfort. A 2016 study by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on sexism, harassment and violence against women parliamentarians indicates that 20 percent of women parliamentarians globally report sexual harassment during their terms. The hospitality and healthcare sectors follow the pecking order, with power relations influencing the trend in several industries, professions, and workspaces.

Allegations of sexual harassment or assault have indeed been weaponised in the past. From the Central Park Five in the US to Ivan Henry, and Perry Lott, exonerated only two years ago after serving 35 years for a rape conviction in Oklahoma, the literature is replete with cases of persons wrongfully convicted for sexual offences they did not commit. Lott won’t be the last.

What is behind seven…

Yet, Akpoti-Natasha’s allegation should be taken more seriously than just another regular nuisance from an under-performing legislative branch. The feedback from insiders has been puzzling. Akpabio and Akpoti-Natasha have been good friends, one source told me. In Akpabio’s Senate presidency, the source said, none of the other three female senators have enjoyed the privileges Akpoti-Uduaghan has, even though she is a first-timer.

Jealousy, I thought, especially when my source added that apart from her appointment as chairman of the juicy local content development committee, Akpoti-Natasha had been a part of the Senate president’s entourage on trips to several enchanting destinations before things fell apart. This source, I’ve known for years, is not given to flippancy. But I pressed for more.

Show me your friend…

The source added that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s husband, Emmanuel, a hard-working man, high chief, husband of one wife, and friend of the establishment but a non-legislator, had also executed several significant contracts for the National Assembly running into hundreds of millions of naira.

For anyone familiar with how things are done here, lavish travels and contracts for one’s buddies are only a tiny part of the fringe benefits. There is a common saying among Nigerian politicians that one does not give jobs to one’s enemies.

Yet, if it’s also true that one’s friends can sometimes tell a lot about who they are, then anyone who is Akpabio’s friend and gets special treatment cannot claim they’re strangers to his flippancy, a shortcoming for which he cannot help himself. Akpoti-Uduaghan should know him.

A lifestyle of rough jokes

As governor of Akwa Ibom State, he said before TV cameras at a zonal meeting in Port Harcourt that “hungry” state party chairmen of his former party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), should be given one million naira each for snacks at Mr. Biggs. Akpabio also famously said that whatever money cannot do, more money can do.

The bawdier variety range from telling young protesters last year that those who wanted to protest could do so “while the rest of us would be here eating.” Not to mention his off-colour quip about the Senate not being a night club or his pre-recess gaffe to “send prayers” (meaning money) to senators just before their holiday.

The man can’t help himself. He thinks the allegation against him is wokeism gone rogue and called it “a useless allegation of sexual harassment.” But the gravity goes beyond his insinuation that Akpoti-Uduaghan is fighting back for losing her “juicy” committee seat or his charge that she thinks of herself as finer than Snow White, a woman to kill for.

Under the rug

The point is that even though he has framed this dispute as a useless distraction, he should never have been the prosecutor and judge in his own case. Because he was involved – the second time in five years – the matter should have been referred to an independent panel or opened to the public.

Allegations of sexual harassment are often difficult to prove. Many incidents occur privately, leaving no direct witnesses or corroborative testimony. Claims usually rely on the complainant’s words, and documentation of circumstantial evidence is challenging.

Referring the matter to the Ethics and Privileges committee was supposed to create a veneer of impartiality. Still, Akpabio’s vindictiveness was apparent long before the committee returned the six-month suspension verdict on Akpoti-Uduaghan. The Senate president was pulling the strings.

It was not Akpoti-Uduaghan’s right to a fair, impartial hearing alone that was at stake, even though the absence of that should have been sufficient to discredit her punishment. Akpabio has also abridged the rights of the senator’s constituents in Kogi Central by this libidinous overreach.

He should have been more restrained.

A worrying record

Discipline of members shouldn’t be taken lightly. Of eight senators suspended since 1999, three have been in the last two years under Akpabio’s presidency. In 236 years, the US Senate has censured nine members.

In South Africa, apart from the raft of parliamentarians who resigned after the so-called Travelgate scandal in the early 2000s, the most notable cases of censure since 1994 have been Julius Malema and Jacob Zuma, for different reasons.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has said Akpoti-Uduaghan was not suspended for her allegation against the Senate president but for multiple breaches, from refusal to sit in her assigned seat, speaking without recognition, disruptive behaviour, and failure to appear before the Senate Ethics Committee, contrary to Senate Orders 2023 as amended.

With only four women out of 109 senators (both chambers of the National Assembly have eight of 469 members), this might sound like music to the ears of the male-dominated chamber. But in the hallways, just outside their gilded offices, the word is that after a previous sexual harassment allegation by Akpoti-Uduaghan against former presidential aide Reno Omokri, it’s time to teach her a lesson.

Spouses beware

Akpabio cannot come clean by asking his wife to tell us what a faithful husband he has been. Or telling us stories of how he spent the night at the Dangote Cement factory to make it to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s wedding. We have an idea what spouses would say in situations like this, and where he spent the night to attend his friend’s wedding is his business.

Enough of the salacious spellbinder. He should allow an independent investigation and publish the findings to bring closure to this sordid episode.

** Ishiekwene is Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of the book Writing for Media and Monetising It.