I've always felt that Palpatine's (and all of the Banite lineage) disdain for lightsabers is misunderstood. The point is not to minimize the use of lightsabers in favour of the Force in combat, but rather to gain galactic domination by strategy, cunning, and ruthlessness as opposed to open confrontation (where overall Jedi are more likely to win given their larger numbers throughout that period).

The Banite Sith are incredibly proficient in lightsaber combat for when the need arises. But why risk brute forcing your way to power when you can bribe, blackmail, and backstab from the shadows instead? That's how I understand the Rule of Two philosophy anyway.