Seven public goofs of Senate President Godswill Akpabio

On Monday, the 26th of April, 2024, the President of the Nigerian Senate was forced to, once again, eat his words and apologise for saying the wrong things or saying, according to him, what was misinterpreted.

It would be recalled that last week Tuesday during Senate plenary, Akpabio had gleefully said that state governors were given N30 billion by the Federal Government as an allowance to ameliorate the food crisis in the country.

Though Akpabio was quick to claim that his information was according to ‘unverified report’, many were of the view that a man of Akpabio’s position in government should not be relying on unverified reports or rumours to make pronouncements, especially while presiding over Senate plenary.

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, among others came out to deny receiving the N30 billion in question.

Realising that he had again goofed, Akpabio, in a statement by his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, apologised to the governors, saying he holds them in high esteem.

The Senate President also claimed that his intended meaning was misunderstood.

The above, is however, not Akpabio’s first time of making unguarded or embarrassing statements in public.

Ripples Nigeria brings you six other public goofs of Godswill Akpabio, Nigeria’s Senate President.

1. At a zonal meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party in Port Harcourt in March 2013, Akpabio, then as governor of Akwa Ibom State, said publicly, in front of television cameras, that he was doling out N1 million to each “hungry” state chairmen of the PDP for them to go have lunch at a fast – food outlet called Mr Bigg’s.

“My brother Governor, Uduaghan, said our members are hungry and that we must put food in their stomachs so that they don’t stray to other parties. I am giving all the state chairmen of the party N1 million right now for Mr Biggs. Our members must not be hungry,” Mr Akpabio said.

Shortly afterwards, the then Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and his Delta State counterpart, Emmanuel Uduaghan, walked out of the venue. Both did not return.

2. Also in March, 2013, then Governor Akpabio confessed to rigging election on live TV

Not a few Nigerians were shocked when when he confessed on live TV how he had rigged the PDP senatorial primary election in Akwa Ibom State.

According him, he falsified a senatorial election result and personally replaced the winner with his preferred candidate.

“The people of Ikono and Ini (local government areas) from 1960 have never produced a senator.

“I used my own hand to strike out the name of the person who has won before, and I said it is important for me to give that region a senator in 2007, and I produced Senator Aloysius Etok for you; that’s where he comes from.”

3. As The Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs Akpabio, again continued with his unguarded statement prompting the famous ‘Honourable minister, it’s okay, it’s okay. Off your mic!’ drama.

In July 2020, Akpabio took on federal lawmakers, when he accused members of the National Assembly of cornering most of the contracts in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) during a National Assembly investigative hearing.

READ ALSO:After goof, Akpabio apologises to govs over N30bn allowance comment

“Most of the contracts in the NDDC are given out to members of the National Assembly, but you don’t know about it,” Mr Akpabio said to a female member of the investigative panel who was aggressively throwing questions at the then minister.

Rattled by Akpabio’s statement, the chairman of the panel, Thomas Ereyitomi, asked the minister to discontinue his testimony which was broadcast live.

“Honourable minister, it’s okay, it’s okay. Off your mic!” Ereyitomi kept shouting.

Though he went ahead to name lawmakers who allegedly got contracts from NDDC, he later made a U-turn and denied accusing members of the National Assembly of benefiting from NDDC contracts.

4. While campaigning for the position of Senate President, Akpabio again came up with his ‘Fear God, gun, and government’ philosophy, while trying to encourage reps-elects to tow the line of President Bola Tinubu for the choice of who becomes Speaker.

Akpabio, in May, made a brief appearance at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, where the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, was meeting with members-elect of the House.

The meeting was convened to persuade the lawmakers-elect to support President Tinubu’s choice of a new speaker.

“Yesterday, I met the party. I actually left a sentence with them or thereabouts. Should I leave the sentence with you?” Mr Akpabio said to the lawmakers-elect.

“In your daily dealings, my late mother told me that I should be aware of the 3Gs: The first G is God; the second G is Gun and the third G is Government.

“The first G is God Almighty. The second G is what? Gun and the third one is (the) Government. May you conduct yourself mindful of the admonition of my late mother, by respecting the 3Gs, particularly the government,” he said.

For many people, Akpabio’s was clearly sending a veiled threat to the lawmakers-elect to support Tinubu’s candidate or be ready to face consequences.

5. As Akwa Ibom State governor, Akpabio also came up with the embarrassing comment of ‘What money cannot do, more money can do’, considered as the senator’s most infamous comment.

The remark, which apparently means that any man could be bought over if enticed with a huge amount of cash, underscores the influence of money (corruption) in Nigeria’s politics.

6. As Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, while rounding off a session of the Senate preparetory for a recess, made a gaffe when he mistakenly revealed that money had been sent to senators to “enjoy” their recess.

Akpabio, who had forgotten that the proceeding was being streamed live, began to address his colleagues before adjournment motion was moved at the end of the Senate’s ministerial screening.

“In order to enable all of us to enjoy our holidays, a token has been sent to our various accounts by the Clerk of the National Assembly,” he said.

When he was immediately informed by his colleagues that he was speaking on live television, Akpabio quickly withdrew his comment.

“In order to allow you to enjoy your holiday, the senate president has sent prayers to your mailboxes to assist you to go on a safe journey and return,” Akpabio rephrased the comment, apparently to correct what was considered an embarrassment.

Feelers are, it may not be the last time, Akpabio, occupying the esteemed seat of Nigeria’s Senate president would goof, or not mind his words in public.

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