Adams Oshiomhole has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of treating him like a devil.

The Edo North senator made the claim on the Sunday edition of MIC ON PODCAST, as tensions inside the Senate keep rising.

Oshiomhole, a former Edo State governor, said Akpabio is paranoid about him despite his contributions to the ruling All Progressives Congress and President Bola Tinubu's election victory.

“Don’t forget that I was a founding governor of the APC and Deputy DG of Bola Tinubu Campaign Council that gave us victory,” Oshiomhole said.

“He (Akpabio) is so paranoid about anything that has to do with me. Everybody in the senate knows that if Senator Akpabio had his way, he'd lock me out of the senate because he's misled himself into thinking that I'm probably the devil he knows. There are many angels he doesn’t know.”

Oshiomhole also predicted that the leadership of the next Senate will be very different from the current one.

“The 11th Senate won't be like the 10th, this I can say. It can't be. Senators are grumbling about his style of leadership,” he said.

He claimed Akpabio becomes uneasy whenever he interacts with certain senators. He gave an example involving Senator Abdulaziz Yari.

Oshiomhole said Yari approached Akpabio to ask for the position of Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, which Oshiomhole chairs. According to Oshiomhole, Akpabio replied: “So you want to join Senator Oshiomhole to plan how to remove me as Senate President?”

Oshiomhole reminded Akpabio that the Senate President is only “first among equals” and can be removed by senators.

“If you understand the way the Senate works, the Senate President is first among equals. Only the persons favoured by the Senators are elected,” he warned.

“Remember, if Senator Yari had got the majority, he could've become the Senate President. It's not about what anybody wishes. It's about who the senators want.”

Oshiomhole’s remarks come days after the Senate publicly distanced itself from his description of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) as “a bunch of criminals and thieves.” The Senate said that was his personal view, not the chamber’s position.

Last week, the Senate passed a motion sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele. It said no Senate committee can issue a warrant of arrest without following the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act and getting the Senate President’s approval.

That motion followed reports that the Senate Committee on Public Accounts had recommended a warrant of arrest for former NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer Mele Kyari for failing to honour invitations.

Efforts to get a reaction from Akpabio’s media aide, Hon Eseme Eyiboh, failed. He didn't pick up calls or reply to messages.

Oshiomhole was a key figure in the APC’s formation and served as Edo State governor from 2008 to 2016. He was also Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2023 elections.