Godswill Akpabio, the President of the Senate, has asked the Department of State Services to investigate the circulation of a purported statement in which he allegedly warned Northerners that they would ‘suffer the most’ if President Bola Tinubu lost the 2027 election.
Akpabio, in a petition to the intelligence agency, seen by our correspondent, described the statement as fabricated, inflammatory and deliberately designed to create regional resentment against him.
The petition, signed on his behalf by Chinedu Akubueze, his Chief of Staff, was submitted to the DSS on Wednesday.
The statement attributed to Akpabio was circulated on Facebook and other digital platforms alongside his photograph and official designation as President of the Senate.
The graphic allegedly quoted him as saying: ‘Northerners, You Will Be The Ones To Suffer The Most, If You Allow Tinubu To Lose The Election.’
Akpabio, however, said he never made the statement and challenged anyone circulating it to produce evidence of where and when he purportedly commented.
The petition stated, ‘The President of the Senate did not make this statement. No date, venue, speech, interview, video, audio recordings, official statement or credible news report has been produced to authenticate it.’
It further described the material as ‘manifestly false, inflammatory and dangerously divisive,’ alleging that it was created to deceive the public and provoke regional tensions.
‘The graphic carries no identifiable publisher’s mark or verifiable source.
‘It appears to have been deliberately manufactured and presented as an authentic quotation for the purpose of deceiving the public, provoking regional resentment against the President of the Senate and portraying him as threatening the people of Northern Nigeria,’ the petition stated.
Akpabio consequently urged the DSS to trace the origin and circulation of the graphic and establish those responsible for its production and dissemination.
The petition said a preliminary review of publicly available Facebook records had identified some of the earliest traceable accounts that allegedly amplified the material.
It named Abdullai Musa, who reportedly posted the graphic in a Facebook group identified as ‘Sheik Muhammad bin Uthman group 24,’ as well as Uzoma Chilaka, whose post allegedly reproduced the graphic alongside commentary attributed to Boniface Uzoma Chilaka and Engineer Ibrahim Umar Ammar.
The petition also identified Ammar’s Facebook account as one that subsequently reproduced the graphic and similar commentary.
However, Akpabio’s office cautioned against treating the individuals named in the petition as guilty before investigation.
‘These persons should not be presumed guilty before investigation,’ the petition stated.
It added that their alleged early and substantial roles in circulating the material made them ‘material persons of interest’ who could assist investigators in establishing how the graphic was produced and distributed.
The petition urged the DSS to examine ‘their publication records, devices, communications and the provenance of the image’ in accordance with the law.
According to Akpabio’s office, the investigation should establish the identity of the graphics designer, original uploader, sponsors, intermediaries and others involved in the distribution network.
The petition also warned about the potential consequences of attributing incendiary political statements to public officials, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
It said the alleged fabrication was capable of ‘provoking regional resentment’ and creating a false impression that the President of the Senate was making threats against Northern Nigerians.
The petition comes amid increasing political activity ahead of the 2027 elections, with political actors and their supporters intensifying their use of social media to promote candidates, campaign messages and allegations against opponents.
The Senate President has repeatedly been at the centre of political debates over the 2027 presidential election, particularly the Senate’s role in the administration and lawmakers’ political activities ahead of the poll.
His petition, however, focuses specifically on distancing him from the alleged anti-North statement and securing an investigation into its origin and circulation.