The Senate Committee Chairman on Customs, Excise and Tariff, Senator Francis Alimikhena, has denied the report that he was among those plotting to remove Ahmed Lawan as President of the Senate.
Reacting in a statement by his Media Office in Abuja on Monday, Alimikhena, who represents Edo North Senatorial district, described the news as “nothing short of lies concocted by evil politicians to cause dissatisfaction among the principal officers of the 9th Senate.”
He said: “The plot linked to me that I was planning to remove Senate President Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan and his Deputy, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege is a pure lie by evil politicians.”
“Again some people are concocting lies to cause dissatisfaction among the principal officers of the 9th Senate having seen how we are all cooperating in the discharge of our statutory responsibilities.”
Senator Alimikhena said he would have ordinarily ignored the insinuation, but for the mention of his name linking him to the plot in the social media.
He insisted that he is neither aware nor involved in any clandestine plot to unseat the Presiding Officers of the Senate.
“The statement continued: “This is a false, malicious and smear publication by faceless online reporter published last week that Senators Alimikhena and Ali Ndume want to unseat the Senate President and the Deputy President of the Senate, Senators Ahmad Lawan and Ovie Omo Agege respectively.
“This faceless online reporter does not even know how to spell my name as he did not even know my first name as he simply wrote that “Senator Alamiekina from Edo State and Senator Ndume from Borno State are said to behind the flames of impeachment. Senator Alamiekina is reported to be angling for Omo Agege’s job while Senator Ndume is reported to be campaigning for the Senate President’s seat.”
“Ordinarily, I would have ignored the report, but for the mention of my name alongside Senator Ali Ndume apparently because we came out for the position of Presiding Officers, where I finally withdrew from the race after due consultations across the board.
“We all know that in a political environment such as ours, which the National Assembly is not an exception where silence could be misinterpreted as consent, it became very imperative for me to dismiss the report and put the record straight.
“The writer is hereby warned that fake news is liable to libel.
“Since the emergence of Senators Lawan and Omo-Agege as President of the Senate and Deputy, we have been working harmoniously as true Nigerians, same party members and as lovers of democracy.
“Finally, I want to put it here that both the President of the Senate, his Deputy and the 9th National Assembly that have been enjoying my support and loyalty, will continue to enjoy that.”
