Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has launched a blistering attack on Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over the controversy surrounding the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act.

Speaking in an interview on Trust TV, El-Rufai dismissed suggestions that the Senate as an institution should be blamed for the contentious move, insisting that the crisis stems from Akpabio’s leadership.

“It is not the Senate that is the problem here. Akpabio is the problem,” El-Rufai said.

In a strongly worded remark, the former governor added, “By every definition, he is a scumbag.”

El-Rufai further alleged that the Senate President was acting in the interest of powerful political figures, describing him as a “lapdog” to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to him, the controversy over the amendment, particularly regarding provisions on election result transmission, is being driven by the Senate President rather than by a collective decision of lawmakers.

El-Rufai urged senators who oppose the amendment to unite and resist it when the National Assembly reconvenes.

“The senators will have to come together, protest, and prevent that from happening,” he stated.

His comments come amid mounting public outrage over the handling of amendments to the Electoral Act, especially the contentious debate around electronic transmission of election results.

The former governor also rejected the honorary title often attached to members of the upper chamber, saying his personal history with Akpabio predates their current political offices.

“I don’t consider him ‘distinguished.’ We’ve known each other since the 1990s. I’ve seen how far we’ve come, so I am qualified to call him what he is,” El-Rufai stated.