The governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has been described as a drunkard by Senator Smart Adeyemi.
Mr Adeyemi gave the description at the floor of the red chamber Tuesday while reacting to a social media post credited to Enyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South senatorial zone.
Mr Abaribe was said to have cast aspersions on Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi State where Mr Adeyemi hails from.
“Despite that some Governors are doing their best, we are lucky to have a governor who has taken the issue of security as a serious priority,” the Kogi lawmaker said.
“We are bordered by nine states but we had an experience of the unfortunate incidents that are happening in neighbouring states.
“Some governors are committed to the protection of their people. In my state, the governor awarded contracts for the renovations of schools and provides security services to them.
“In some states of Nigeria today, where we have highly intelligent people, highly educated people, very enterprising people, like Abia, they are governed by drunkards. The governor of Abia is a champagne drinking man.
“Abia people are impoverished more than ever before. Abia people are unfortunate,” Adeyemi added.
In his reaction, the Abia South lawmaker denied the social media commentary as emanating from him.
He also asked his colleague to apologise for the insult heaped on the Abia helmsman.
“Mr President, I will like to make a clarification. Unfortunately, what has happened here today is one of the problems that you see on social media. I never made any comments on the governor of Kogi State. Never,” Abaribe clarified.
“What has happened is what we see going on today. People write something and tag your name to it. And if you don’t ask question, you will not know whether you actually said it or not.
“And I see so many things tag to me but I don’t talk. The last time I saw Nuhu Ribadu, I also spoke to him. Something was tag to his name that was very deleterious.
“I’m very surprised that my good friend and colleague decided to open up on the governor of Abia for something I never said,” he added.
The outspoken lawmaker said his colleague must apologize “for the very bad statement he made that had no basis.”
