Why I Called Abia Gov Drunk – Senator Adeyemi

The Senator representing Kogi West, Senator Smart Adeyemi, has explained reasons for his earlier outburst against the Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, on the floor of the Upper Chamber during plenary on Tuesday.

Adeyemi in an interview said his action followed an earlier derogatory remark made against the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, by the Senator representing Abia South, Senator Eyinnya Abaribe.

The Kogi West Senator recalled that his reconciliatory moves to Sen. Abaribe to get the Abia Senator to apologize for the undisclosed remarks against Governor Bello did not succeed, adding that the leader of the Minority Caucus bluntly refused to apologise, boasting that “is it not your governor that wants to be President. It is the turn of the South East to produce the next President.”

He lambasted Abaribe for attacking the Kogi State governor over the interest of the South East to produce a president in 2023, adding that “even if the region is producing the next president, would they not seek the support of Kogi State?

“Yahaya is a muslim. I am a Christian, he is not biased. He is the first person as Governor of Kogi State who built a Church in Government House.

“All the governors we have had refused to do that. And we know that nobody can come out to give us the accurate percentage of Christians and Muslims. They are equally balanced.”

While calling on Senator Abaribe to resign his position as Senator, for lying to the Red Chamber over the issue, Adeyemi stressed that the Kogi governor had demonstrated his governance prowess in infrastructural development and security.

“You can hardly establish the position of Abaribe. When it comes to serious issues that affects the South East, he compromises. He is not a good leader. He is a manipulator. But when it comes to television issues for the world to see, you will see him talking,” Adeyemi thundered.

On his part, Senator Abaribe expressed disappointment at Adeyemi’s behaviour, insisting that the affected video in the eye of the storm was filmed six years ago.

He however maintained that he would not join issues with his counterpart over the issue.