ABUJA — The political truce between the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and the APC-led Senate has officially evaporated. In a blistering and highly personal critique, the “Accidental Public Servant” has labeled Senate President Godswill Akpabio as nothing more than an “errand boy” for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The verbal nuclear bomb, dropped during a period of intense legislative friction on Monday, February 9, 2026, targeted Akpabio’s role in scuttling the mandatory electronic transmission of election results. El-Rufai warned that the independence of the National Assembly has been “slaughtered” on the altar of executive convenience, turning the legislature into an “extension of Aso Rock.”
The ‘Regime Security’ Warning
El-Rufai’s attack was not merely about name-calling; it was anchored in a deeper concern over the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026. He alleged that the Senate leadership intentionally left out the electronic transmission clause to aid a “Renewed Rigging” agenda for 2027.
“Akpabio’s leadership has turned the National Assembly into a tool for the executive,” El-Rufai asserted, echoing his earlier alarm that the government is prioritizing “Regime Security” over the protection of the people. In a chilling comparison, he warned that without a unified opposition, the current administration might attempt to entrench itself indefinitely. “If we don’t come together… Tinubu will try to be our Paul Biya.”
A Grudge Three Years in the Making
Political analysts suggest that the gloves have come off because of a deep-seated grievance. In 2023, it was under Akpabio’s Senate that El-Rufai’s ministerial screening was famously halted due to “security reports.” Now on the outside, El-Rufai appears determined to dismantle the legislative credibility of the man he blames for his political exile.
National Outrage and the ‘Bandit’ Paradox
The “errand boy” label has gained traction as public dejection grows over the Senate’s technological excuses.
- The Paradox: Critics like David Mark and Zekeri Idris have already shamed the Senate, pointing out the irony that bandits successfully livestream from forests while the government claims it cannot transmit a vote from a local government headquarters.
- The Protest: El-Rufai’s remarks coincided with Peter Obi joining hundreds of protesters at the National Assembly gates on Monday, demanding that the “manual” rigging loopholes be closed.
Senate Braces for Impact
The Senate leadership has previously dismissed El-Rufai’s critiques as the “bitter outbursts” of a man who has lost his seat at the table. However, the sheer ferocity of his latest intervention has forced an emergency plenary sitting scheduled for today, Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
As the “errand boy” tag trends across social media, the question for Akpabio is whether he will use today’s session to reclaim his independence or double down on a legislative path that Kenneth Okonkwo describes as a “betrayal of democracy.”
