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Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani has reacted to the withdrawal of Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, from the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial rerun election.                     

                    Akpabio confirmed his decision in a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole. Akpabio explained that his decision to withdraw from the senatorial race, was because he could not afford to jettison a critical national assignment, given to him by President Muhammadu Buhari in pursuit of a rerun election. He, therefore, asked the APC leadership to inform the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of his decision to withdraw, in line with Sections 33 and 35 of the Electoral Act, 2010 and submit a replacement to run in his stead.
                    Reacting, Shehu Sani took to his Twitter page, stating that Akpabio chose to stay as a minister rather than take the chance of losing while trying to be a Senator. Sani wrote: “My friend Godswill Akpabio has embraced the dictum that a Bird in hand.” The Kaduna lawmaker also joined some Nigerians in commending Punch Newspaper over recent decision to refer to President Buhari as ‘Major General’. The Punch Newspaper Editorial of today sends a clear message to the perpetrators, choristers and fans of tyranny and state repression in our country and the corrosive and cowardly silence of those who should speak truth to power,” Sani added. It was reported that Punch in an editorial titled “Buhari’s lawlessness: Our Stand” stated that it will “henceforth prefix Buhari’s name with his rank as a military dictator in the 80s ‘Major General’ and refer to his administration as a regime until they purge themselves of their insufferable contempt for the rule of law. Punch said its decision shows its protest against autocracy and military-style repression under Buhari’s administration. In reaction, Femi Adesina, a Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Said punch can call the president Major General since it is a tittle he earned and didn't steal, he also said the fact that punch could call the president Major General goes to show that the president allows freedom of speech and expression in the country unlike what is being reported by the media.