Akpabio and I did not fight – Senate leader Bamidele

Opeyemi Bamidele

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has debunked reports of an alleged altercation between him and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Responding to online claims, Bamidele, through his media office, described the reports as baseless and the work of a “serial blackmailer and cash-and-carry journalist.” 

In a statement released Thursday in Abuja, the office clarified that there was no disagreement or physical confrontation between the two Senate leaders. 

The directorate emphasised that Bamidele, throughout his over two decades in politics, has never been involved in physical altercations, not even during his tenure as president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). 

“It is surprising that the purveyor of this misleading information, in his selfish agenda and unprofessional conduct, threw ethos of journalism into waste bin and decided to feast on roadside gists to tarnish the image of the Senate leader,” the statement said.

The office pointed out that Bamidele, Akpabio, and other principal officers attended a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria YU Dunhai and his delegation shortly after Wednesday’s plenary session, contradicting claims of a dispute. 

It also cautioned detractors against mistaking Bamidele’s calm demeanour for weakness.