By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has petitioned the Department of State Services, DSS, over an alleged anti-Northern statement attributed to him and circulated on social media platforms.
The petition, filed on behalf of the Senate President by his Chief of Staff, Chinedu Akubueze, urged the DSS to investigate what Akpabio described as a false, inflammatory and divisive statement being circulated alongside his photograph and official designation.
The statement circulating online purportedly claimed that Northerners would suffer the most if President Bola Tinubu lost the 2027 presidential election. Akpabio, however, has categorically denied making the statement.
According to the petition, there is no identifiable source, date, venue, speech, interview, video, audio recording or official statement to authenticate the alleged remark. Akpabio’s office therefore described the graphic as an apparent fabrication designed to mislead members of the public and create regional resentment.
The Merit Newspaper reports that the petition also called on the DSS to investigate the graphic’s origin and distribution. It identified some social media accounts as among the earliest traceable amplifiers of the material. Still, it cautioned that the individuals mentioned should not be presumed guilty before an investigation is conducted.
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Akpabio’s office said the investigation should establish the designer of the graphic, its original uploader, possible sponsors, intermediaries and the network through which the material was circulated. It also urged that relevant publication records and other evidence be examined in accordance with the law.
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The development comes amid heightened political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, when political statements and social media content are increasingly attracting public attention. A fact-checking report has also found no evidence authenticating the alleged statement, while Akpabio continues to maintain that he never commented.
