Senate President Godswill Akpabio has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over a social media post allegedly attributing an anti-Northern statement to him.
The petition, filed by Akpabio’s Chief of Staff, Chinedu Akubueze, on behalf of the Senate President, was made available to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday by Akpabio’s Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom.
The petition asked the DSS to investigate a statement circulating on Facebook and other social media platforms which was shared alongside Akpabio’s photograph and official designation.
The statement allegedly quoted the Senate President as saying:
“Northerners, you will be the ones to suffer the most, if you allow Tinubu to lose the election.”
Akpabio’s office said the statement is false and was not made by the Senate President.
According to the petition, there is no identifiable date, venue, speech, interview, video, audio recording, official statement or credible news report supporting the claim.
The office also alleged that the graphic was deliberately designed to resemble an authentic statement from Akpabio in order to mislead members of the public, provoke anger against him and create the impression that he had threatened people from Northern Nigeria.
The petition identified several Facebook users who allegedly shared the graphic at an early stage, including Abdullai Musa, who reportedly posted it in a Facebook group known as “Sheikh Muhammad bin Uthman group 24”.
Another person identified in the petition was Uzoma Chilaka, who allegedly shared the graphic with commentary attributed to Boniface Uzoma Chilaka and Engineer Ibrahim Umar Ammar.
A verified Facebook account belonging to Ibrahim Umar Ammar was also mentioned as having subsequently shared the graphic and similar commentary.
Akpabio’s office, however, stressed that the individuals named in the petition should not be presumed guilty before any investigation is conducted.
It asked the DSS to investigate the publication trail and determine the source of the graphic, including the person who designed or first uploaded it and those who may have sponsored or coordinated its distribution.
The petition also requested that investigators examine relevant publication records, devices and communications in accordance with the law.
The development comes as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 general elections, with social media playing an increasingly important role in political mobilisation and the circulation of campaign-related information.
Akpabio’s petition places the alleged statement firmly in the category of a disputed social media claim, with his office maintaining that he did not make the comment. The DSS investigation, if pursued, could establish the origin and circulation of the material.
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