Akpabio Petitions DSS Over Alleged Anti North Comments

President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over the circulation of a purported anti-North statement allegedly attributed to him.

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Jackson Udom, Special Assistant to the President of the Senate on Media, Jackson Udom, made the disclosure public in a statement on Wednesday.

Akpabio, through his Chief of Staff, Chinedu Akubueze, in a petition to the security agency on Wednesday, urged the DSS to urgently investigate what he described as the creation and coordinated dissemination of a false, inflammatory and divisive statement on Facebook and other digital platforms.

The statement, contained in a graphic bearing Akpabio’s photograph and official designation, quoted him as saying: “Northerners, you will be the ones to suffer the most, if you allow Tinubu to lose the election.”

However, the Senate President, through the petition, categorically denied making the statement, describing it as fabricated and calculated to deceive the public and provoke regional resentment against him.

According to the petition, no date, venue, speech, interview, video, audio recording, official statement or credible news report has been produced to authenticate the alleged comment.

It further stated that the graphic carried neither an identifiable publisher’s mark nor a verifiable source, suggesting that it was deliberately manufactured and presented as an authentic quotation.

The petition said the alleged statement was capable of portraying Akpabio as threatening the people of Northern Nigeria and could heighten regional tension, particularly ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Senate President consequently requested the DSS to investigate the origin, production and circulation of the graphic, including the persons and networks allegedly involved in its dissemination.

The petition identified some individuals as among the earliest traceable amplifiers of the alleged fabricated graphic based on a preliminary examination of publicly accessible Facebook records.

It named Abdullai Musa, who allegedly posted the graphic in a Facebook group known as Sheik Muhammad bin Uthman group 24, and Uzoma Chilaka, whose Facebook post allegedly reproduced the graphic alongside commentary credited to Boniface Uzoma Chilaka and Engineer Ibrahim Umar Ammar.

The petition also mentioned a verified Facebook account belonging to Ibrahim Umar Ammar, which allegedly subsequently reproduced the graphic and substantially similar commentary.

Akpabio, however, cautioned against presuming the individuals guilty before the conclusion of an investigation.

It described them as “material persons of interest” whose early and substantial roles in circulating the material could potentially provide information on the identity of the graphics designer, original uploader, sponsors, intermediaries and the wider network through which the content was distributed.

The petition therefore asked the DSS to investigate the publication records, devices, communications and provenance of the image in accordance with the law.

The Senate President’s action comes amid heightened political activities and increasing concerns over the use of social media to circulate inflammatory statements attributed to political figures ahead of the 2027 elections.

Akpabio, through his media office, urged the relevant authorities to establish the source of the alleged statement and take appropriate action if any criminal wrongdoing is uncovered.