The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity and Official Spokesperson to the President of the Senate, Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, has urged Nigerian politicians to embrace restraint and reconciliation, stressing that the most radical act in politics is not retaliation but self-control.
Eyiboh made the call in a statement titled "Akpabio's New Year Resolution: Forgiveness, Faith, and Leadership," in which he reflected on Senate President Godswill Akpabio's decision to forgive those who had offended him and withdraw all pending lawsuits.
According to the Senate President's spokesman, Nigeria's current challenges--ranging from insecurity and economic hardship to climate anxiety--make reconciliation a governance imperative rather than a personal luxury.
"In politics, silence is often louder than speech, for it speaks the language of calculation and consequence. Forgiveness, when declared by a powerful man, is louder still," Eyiboh said, noting that such an act unsettles expectations not because it is weak, but because power is rarely presumed innocent when it chooses mercy.
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He explained that Akpabio's decision was inspired during a New Year's Day church service at Sacred Heart Parish, Uyo, where a sermon urged worshippers to let go of grievances and embrace peace. According to him, the message resonated deeply with the Senate President.
Eyiboh disclosed that Akpabio subsequently resolved to withdraw about nine defamation suits, including the ₦200 billion case against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as well as other legal actions involving his associates.
"In a political culture where litigation has become an extension of reputation management, this was no minor gesture," he said, adding that Akpabio had previously been firm in defending his name through the courts.
He described the move as consistent with Akpabio's leadership style, both as a former governor of Akwa Ibom State and as Senate President, noting that his tenure at the National Assembly has been marked by stability, restraint, and productivity, with over 96 bills passed in two years and more than 58 assented to by the President.
Eyiboh argued that forgiving adversaries and abandoning prolonged legal battles would allow the Senate President to focus more on institutional leadership and nation-building.
"Legal battles tether leaders to old grievances. To let them go is to reclaim focus and recommit to what ultimately matters," he said.
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While acknowledging that forgiveness is easier from a position of strength, Eyiboh said such restraint by those in authority helps lower political tensions and promotes unity in fragile democratic systems.
He added that Akpabio's action should be seen as public modelling of responsible leadership and civic values, capable of reshaping political conduct and encouraging national healing.
"In a country struggling to rebuild trust, reconciliation is not a luxury; it is governance," Eyiboh said.
He concluded that Akpabio's New Year resolution sends a clear message that leadership does not require perpetual conflict, stressing that humility, properly understood, is not a sign of weakness but the highest expression of confidence.
