Nigerian Senate President Godswill Akpabio has formally petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over a purported “anti-North” statement falsely attributed to him and widely circulated on social media.
The petition, signed by Akpabio’s Chief of Staff, Chinedu Akubueze, urges the security agency to urgently investigate the creation and coordinated dissemination of what the Senate President described as a “manifestly false, inflammatory and dangerously divisive” fabrication.
The controversy centers on a digital graphic bearing Akpabio’s photograph and official title, which allegedly quotes him as saying: “Northerners, You Will Be The Ones To Suffer The Most, If You Allow Tinubu To Lose The Election.”
Akpabio’s office stated unequivocally that he never made such a remark. The petition emphasized that no date, venue, speech, interview, video, audio recording, or credible news report has been produced to authenticate the quotation. Furthermore, the graphic lacked any identifiable publisher’s mark or verifiable source, suggesting it was deliberately manufactured to deceive the public and provoke regional resentment against him.
According to the petition, a preliminary examination of publicly accessible Facebook records identified some of the earliest traceable amplifiers of the fake graphic. The document specifically named individuals including Abdullai Musa, who allegedly posted it in a Facebook group, and Uzoma Chilaka, whose post reproduced the graphic alongside specific commentary. A verified account belonging to Engineer Ibrahim Umar Ammar was also cited for subsequently sharing similar material.
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However, the petition stressed that these individuals “should not be presumed guilty before investigation.” Instead, their early and substantial roles in circulating the material make them “material persons of interest” who may possess crucial information capable of identifying the graphic’s designer, original uploader, sponsors, and the broader network through which the disinformation was distributed.
Akpabio has consequently called for the publication records, devices, and communications of these individuals, as well as the digital provenance of the image, to be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the law.
As Nigeria navigates a complex political landscape, the weaponization of fake news remains a potent threat. For Akpabio, this petition is not just about clearing his name; it is a demand for accountability in an era where digital forgeries can easily be weaponized to fracture national unity.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
