Senate President Godswill Akpabio has denied claims that he distributed $15,000 in bribes to senators to secure their approval for a state of emergency in Rivers State. The allegations, which spread widely on social media, suggested that Akpabio handed out cash during a breaking-of-fast gathering at his residence in Maitama, Abuja.
The accusations stated that senators received $5,000 on Tuesday and another $10,000 on Wednesday, just before the legislative vote. However, Akpabio dismissed these claims, calling them a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation. Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, he described the reports as unfounded and part of a wider campaign against him.
Eyiboh responded to the allegations, saying, “I am aware and it is true that since Senator Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, assumed that position, he has been breaking fast. He did it last year, he did it this year, so why is it turning into a rumour?”
He further questioned the logic behind the bribery claim, stating: “On the issue of the dollars, he is giving the money for what? I am aware of the breaking of the fast, but I can tell you I am not aware and it is not true of the dollars, whether $5,000 or $10,000, people are just conjuring it to be able to give flavour to their malice and hate campaign.”
The reports of bribery surfaced amid heightened political tension over the state of emergency in Rivers State. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives reportedly approved the emergency declaration through a unanimous voice vote on Thursday.
