The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has denied making a statement allegedly threatening Nigerians from the North with hardship if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election.
Akpabio described the claim as a “complete fabrication”, insisting that there was no evidence, including video, audio recording, interview, speech or credible report, linking him to the alleged statement.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, the Senate President challenged those circulating the claim to provide proof of where and when he supposedly made the remark.
The statement was titled, “Desperate and Dangerous Lie: Produce the Evidence or Withdraw It.”
Akpabio said a graphic image carrying the alleged quotation could not be regarded as evidence, describing it as “an allegation wearing typography”.
He challenged the alleged source of the claim, Engr. Ibrahim Umar Ammar, whom he said was identified on his verified Facebook account as being associated with the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation and Coordinator of ADC-NYAF in Kano State, to release the original material.
“Produce the original and unedited video or audio recording showing precisely where, when and before whom Senator Akpabio made the alleged statement. Name the occasion. Give the date and venue. Provide the complete recording, not a conveniently edited fragment,” he said.
The Senate President also asked those who shared the claim online to identify its original source and provide the publication or material from which it originated.
He warned that spreading unverified statements capable of creating ethnic tension could undermine national unity ahead of the 2027 general election.
According to Akpabio, political disagreements are legitimate in a democracy, but attempts to create fear and resentment through fabricated claims should be rejected.
“This is not legitimate political opposition. It is calculated incitement designed to manufacture fear, resentment and hostility between Northern Nigerians and a national leader from the South,” he said.
Akpabio argued that his record of engagement with Nigerians across regions contradicted the allegation that he was hostile towards the North.
He cited his working relationship with Deputy Senate President Senator Barau Jibrin of Kano State and the presence of Northern lawmakers and officials within his political structure as evidence of cooperation across regional lines.
The Senate President also referenced legislative initiatives, including the establishment of the North-West Development Commission and the North-Central Development Commission, as examples of efforts aimed at promoting development across the country.
He further recalled the National Assembly’s intervention following floods in Maiduguri, Borno State, and other legislative actions covering student loans, minimum wage, security and economic development.
Akpabio urged Nigerians to verify politically sensitive information before sharing it online, warning that repeated circulation does not make an allegation factual.
“A quotation of this gravity cannot be authenticated by repetition, likes, shares or the number of Facebook accounts carrying it,” he said.
He insisted that the responsibility of proving the allegation rests with those making the claim, adding that he cannot be expected to disprove an unidentified statement allegedly made at an unknown location and time.
The Senate President urged political parties and supporters to focus the 2027 election debate on policies, achievements, failures and competing visions for Nigeria rather than ethnic divisions.
“Let the 2027 contest be vigorous. Let political parties interrogate records, challenge policies, expose failures, defend achievements and present competing visions for Nigeria,” he said.
“The North is not an electoral weapon. The South is not an enemy. Ethnicity is not campaign ammunition. And Nigeria’s unity must never become collateral damage in anybody’s campaign for power.”
