Senate President Godswill Akpabio has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over a viral social media graphic containing an alleged warning that Northerners would suffer if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election, describing the statement as false and calling for an investigation. The petition was made public in Abuja on Wednesday by […]
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over a viral social media graphic containing an alleged warning that Northerners would suffer if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election, describing the statement as false and calling for an investigation.
The petition was made public in Abuja on Wednesday by Akpabio’s Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, after it was submitted to the DSS on behalf of the Senate President.
Akpabio’s Chief of Staff, Chinedu Akubueze, who filed the petition, described the statement as false, inflammatory and capable of deepening regional tension ahead of the 2027 elections.
The disputed graphic reportedly features Akpabio’s photograph and official designation and attributes the statement to him: “Northerners, You Will Be The Ones To Suffer The Most, If You Allow Tinubu To Lose The Election.”
But Akubueze said the Senate President never made the remark, stressing that no speech, interview, recording, official statement or credible media report had emerged to support the claim.
He also questioned the authenticity of the graphic, saying it carried no identifiable publisher’s mark or verifiable source and appeared to have been manufactured before being circulated as a genuine quotation from Akpabio.
According to the petition, the alleged fabrication could mislead members of the public, fuel resentment against Akpabio and create the impression that he was threatening or warning Northern Nigerians over their political choices.
Akpabio’s office said its preliminary review of publicly available Facebook records uncovered accounts allegedly involved in some of the earliest circulation of the disputed material.
The petition identified Abdullai Musa, who allegedly shared the graphic in a Facebook group known as “Sheikh Muhammad bin Uthman group 24,” as well as Uzoma Chilaka, whose post allegedly contained the graphic and related commentary.
Ibrahim Umar Ammar was also mentioned after a verified Facebook account bearing his name allegedly reproduced the material and similar commentary.
Despite naming the accounts, Akpabio’s office cautioned that those mentioned should not be presumed guilty, describing them as persons of interest who could potentially help investigators determine where the graphic originated and how it was distributed.
The DSS was therefore urged to examine relevant publication records, devices and communications to establish the source of the image and identify anyone who may have sponsored, designed or facilitated its circulation.
The petition comes at a time of heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 elections, with social media increasingly becoming a major battleground for political campaigns, mobilisation and the spread of competing narratives.
Akpabio remains one of the leading political figures in the Tinubu administration and represents Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District in the National Assembly.