The Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, on Wednesday dismissed claims suggesting any move to impeach Senate President Godswill Akpabio, describing such reports as unfounded and capable of sowing confusion within the upper chamber.

Bamidele’s clarification followed comments by former Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North), who on Tuesday revealed that there had been past, though unsuccessful, attempts by some senators to unseat Akpabio.

Kalu, while speaking with journalists at the National Assembly, had said that efforts to destabilise the Senate leadership failed after key members intervened to preserve unity in the chamber.

He urged lawmakers to focus on legislative stability and national cohesion rather than political scheming.

However, addressing the issue during plenary, Bamidele made it clear that there was never any plan or discussion among senators to remove the Senate President.

“There was no attempt by any of our colleagues, nor any discussion on the possibility of removing the Senate President. We are totally united and have adopted a zero-tolerance policy for distractions because there are urgent matters of national importance demanding our attention. Reports like that are meant to create confusion,” Bamidele said.

“The Senate is stable. There is no crisis, no plan to remove anyone. Our attention is on issues that directly affect Nigerians.”

Bamidele’s rebuttal comes less than 24 hours after Kalu told journalists that some lawmakers had previously attempted to remove Akpabio but were prevailed upon to drop the plan.

“Though there were attempts, we didn’t allow that to happen. That is why I always say we are one big family, and it is not going to happen,” Kalu said.

The former Abia State governor maintained that the Senate’s priority is to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges through people-centered legislation.

“Whatever the problem is, the Senate is more interested in making laws that will help President Tinubu overcome the economic difficulties our people are going through.

“We are more interested in the people. The legislations we are making are pro-people, and we are focused on ensuring Nigerians can eat three times a day,” he added.

The latest controversy revives memories of October 2024, when speculation of a northern senators’ plot to unseat Akpabio forced the chamber to pass a vote of confidence in his leadership.

At the time, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) distanced the Northern Senators’ Forum from any such plan, warning that “those pushing such narratives were undermining the progress of our democracy.”

Since his emergence as Senate President in June 2023,  Akpabio has weathered an unending storm of intrigue, discontent, and veiled plots to oust him from office.

Barely two months after his inauguration, rumours surfaced of an impeachment plot. Some lawmakers accused Akpabio of running the Senate as an appendage of the executive, alleging he was too subservient to the Presidency.

Though he dismissed the claims as politically motivated, the incident exposed the early cracks within the 10th Assembly.

By October 2024, the chamber was again awash with reports that the Department of State Services had taken over the National Assembly Complex to prevent Akpabio’s removal, a claim he branded as “fake news.”

Yet, even after the Senate’s media office issued denials, whispers of rebellion persisted.

Tension peaked in July 2025 when Akpabio reportedly clashed with Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele during a closed-door session over the unilateral announcement of the Senate’s annual recess.

Sources said the disagreement reflected a deeper unease among lawmakers over Akpabio’s leadership style.

Though Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu dismissed the report as “baseless and misleading,” insiders confirmed that tempers indeed flared during the session.

The July incident was not the first time Akpabio and Bamidele were rumoured to have disagreed.

Similar reports had surfaced in November 2024 about a near-physical confrontation between both men—claims swiftly denied by Bamidele’s office.

At the core of the persistent friction lies a struggle for influence, regional balance, and legislative autonomy.

Akpabio’s closeness to President Bola Tinubu has earned him both loyalty and suspicion. To his supporters, it represents needed harmony between the executive and legislature; to his critics, it is proof of overreach by the presidency.

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The Lagos State Government has announced that road rehabilitation works will commence on the Lekki-Ajah corridor from Saturday, November 15, 2025, and will run through Wednesday, July 15, 2026 — a period of eight months.

According to a statement signed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, on Wednesday, the project aims to improve road quality and ease traffic flow along one of the state’s busiest routes.

“The Lagos State Government has announced road rehabilitation works on Lekki-Ajah corridor commencing from Saturday 15th November, 2025 to Wednesday 15th July, 2026, a period of 8 months,” the statement also shared on his X read.

Osiyemi explained that the rehabilitation would be executed in two phases to minimize inconvenience for commuters and businesses along the corridor, with preliminary works already in progress.

Phase 1: Lekki 1st Toll Gate to Lekki 2nd Toll Gate

This phase, according to the statement, will cover seven (7) sections of the expressway.

“During the construction, a lane out of the 2 lanes will be closed while motorists will use the second lane. When the closed lane is completed, work will shift to the other lane,” it stated.

The commissioner assured that despite the closures, motorists going to Lekki and Ajah will have through fare throughout the duration of Phase 1.

Phase 2: Lekki 2nd Toll Gate to Ajah Under-Bridge

The second phase of the project will focus on four (4) sections of the road, with traffic diversions implemented to maintain movement.

“Motorists from Ajah inward Lekki will be diverted to one lane while repairs are ongoing on the other lane. When the first lane is completed, work will move to the second lane,” the statement noted.

It further added that during this phase, “motorists heading towards Ajah will have continuous movement.”

Advisory to Motorists

The Lagos State Government appealed for patience and cooperation from residents and road users, emphasizing that the temporary inconvenience would yield long-term benefits.

“Some sections of the road will be partially closed during the repair period. Motorists are advised to be patient and follow traffic directions. These repairs are part of the Lagos State Government’s efforts to improve road quality and ease traffic flow.”

Osiyemi reaffirmed that the rehabilitation aligns with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to sustainable urban mobility and infrastructural renewal across Lagos.

The commissioner urged commuters to plan their journeys accordingly and to obey all traffic management personnel deployed to ensure smooth vehicular movement during the project.

Earlier in September, the Lagos State Government commenced rehabilitation works on the stretch of the Eti-Osa/Lekki/Epe Expressway, covering the Admiralty Way Junction to Jubilee Bridge section (Ajah) in Eti-Osa Local Government Area and Eti-Osa East LCDA.

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The detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has approached the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, seeking an order to restrain the Federal High Court from delivering judgment in his ongoing terrorism trial.

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court has fixed November 20 for judgment in the case, which has been ongoing since 2015.

The judge fixed the judgment day on November 7 after granting Kanu repeated opportunities to enter his defence.

Kanu had earlier sacked his legal team and opted to defend himself. He, however, turmed around, saying there was no valid charges against him to warrant entering a defence.

In his no-case submission, he argued that the terrorism law under which the Federal Government charged him had been repealed. He, therefore, filed an application, asking the court to free him.

However, Justice Omotosho dismissed his no-case submission and gave him repeated opportunities to defend himself, before finally fixing November 20 for judgment.

In a last-ditch effort, Kanu approached the judge on Tuesday, asking him to adjourn the judgment indefinitely, a request that was turned down.

Displeased, Kanu, on Wednesday, approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, praying it to order the lower court to  halt scheduled judgment.

Kanu stated that he had filed a notice of appeal against the September 26 ruling of Justice Omotosho, which dismissed his no-case submission and ordered him to defend the terrorism allegations.

In the appeal, with the Federal Government as the sole respondent and Kanu as appellant, he argued that the lower court erred in dismissing his no-case submission without considering the jurisdictional and legal validity of the charges.

Among his claims, Kanu contended that the Federal High Court was wrong to uphold the charges because the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act had been repealed, making the charges invalid.

He also argued that the judge failed to address the constitutional issue of jurisdiction in his ruling on the no-case submission.

Kanu further alleged that Justice Omotosho did not properly evaluate the evidence of prosecution witnesses or their cross-examinations to determine whether the evidence had been discredited.

He stated, “I sought to call 23 witnesses only after the issue of jurisdiction had been determined, but the court refused to allow this, stating that such would be done in the final judgment. The judge foreclosed my right to defend myself while refusing to rule on my objections to the validity of some counts in the charges.”

He warned that if the Court of Appeal does not halt the judgment, he risks being unlawfully convicted and sentenced, and his appeal would become “a mere academic exercise,” effectively turning the appellate process into a fait accompli.

In a 13-paragraph affidavit, Kanu also raised issues of disobedience to the Supreme Court’s order on the validity of count seven of the charges and the failure to apply the mandatory test under Section 303 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

He claimed that the Supreme Court had clarified that count seven was no longer an offence in Nigeria, having been repealed.

Kanu emphasised that his pending appeal raises substantial constitutional issues, particularly noting that counts one to six of the charges are based on a repealed statute, meaning there are no valid charges against him.

He stated, “The respondent will suffer no prejudice if this application is granted, and conversely, refusing this application would give rise to injustice as it will shut me out of my constitutional right of appeal.”

No date has been fixed yet for the hearing of the motion by the Court of Appeal.

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