Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has launched a scathing attack on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, calling him President Bola Tinubu’s “errand boy” and blaming him for the turmoil surrounding the proposed amendment to Nigeria’s Electoral Act.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, El-Rufai insisted that the controversy is not the fault of the Senate as a whole, but stems directly from Akpabio’s leadership and personal agenda.
He accused the Senate President of pushing the amendment through manipulation to serve powerful political interests, warning that such actions threaten democratic principles and public confidence in the legislature.
“It is not the Senate that is the problem. Akpabio is the problem,” El-Rufai said.
He urged senators who oppose the amendment to stand firm, unite, and resist the move when the National Assembly reconvenes.
“The senators must unite, protest, and stop this move. Silence is surrender,” he stressed.
El-Rufai also rejected the formal respect often given to Akpabio, saying his long-standing personal knowledge of the Senate President allows him to speak bluntly.
“I don’t see him as ‘distinguished.’ We’ve known each other since the 1990s, and I know exactly who he is,” he said.
His remarks have reignited the national debate over the Electoral Act amendment, deepening political divisions and raising concerns about legislative independence and the future of electoral reforms in Nigeria.
