FACT-CHECK: Did Senate President Akpabio Say Northerners Would Suffer If Tinubu Loses the 2027 Election?

BY: Abayomi Abdulwaliyy Jolayemi

Claim: 

A social media post shared by X user iDAN (@dangbanamanager) features a graphic attributing the following statement to Senate President Godswill Akpabioswill Akpabio

“We will make sure Northerners suffer from January to May if Tinubu loses the election.”

The post questions whether the alleged statement constitutes a threat against northerners. At the time of the screenshot reviewed by FactCheckAfrica, the post had recorded approximately 346,000 views, 6,500 likes and 3,800 reposts.

Verdict: 

FALSE. 

Full Text: 

A graphic circulating on social media attributes a politically charged statement to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, claiming that northerners would be made to suffer between January and May if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election.

The graphic was shared on X by iDAN (@dangbanamanager) alongside the comment, “Is this not a threat against the northerns? Tinubu needs to call Akpabio to order. But he won’t because of desperation.”

The allegation has generated reactions because of its ethnic and political implications. However, the graphic does not provide the date, venue or occasion where Akpabio allegedly made the statement.

Following the circulation of the claim, reports emerged that Akpabio had petitioned the Department of State Services over the alleged anti-North statement.

Verification:

FactCheckAfrica reviewed the circulating graphic, the accompanying social media post and reports concerning Akpabio’s response to the allegation.

The graphic attributes the quotation to Godswill Akpabio but does not identify the event, interview, speech or publication from which the statement was supposedly taken. It also contains no video, audio recording or transcript supporting the quotation.

In a statement issued by his media office, Akpabio described the claim as a “complete fabrication” and challenged those circulating it to provide evidence of where and when he allegedly made the statement. As reported by Vanguard, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, said there was no video, audio recording, speech, interview, press release, transcript or credible news report in which Akpabio made the alleged remark.

Akpabio also challenged those behind the claim to provide the original and unedited recording, including the date, venue and occasion where the statement was allegedly made.

The Senate President subsequently petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over the claim. According to Channels Television, the petition described the statement as false, inflammatory and dangerously divisive. It further stated that no date, venue, speech, interview, video, audio recording, official statement or credible news report had been produced to authenticate the alleged quotation.

TheCable also reported that the petition said the graphic had no identifiable publisher’s mark or verifiable source. It called for an investigation into the origin of the graphic, including its designer, original uploader, sponsors and other persons involved in its dissemination.

FactCheckAfrica found no credible audio, video, official transcript or contemporaneous news report confirming that Akpabio made the statement.

Conclusion: 

The claim is False. There is no credible evidence that Senate President Godswill Akpabio said: “We will make sure Northerners suffer from January to May if Tinubu loses the election.” The statement appears in an unattributed social media graphic without a verifiable source, date, venue, recording or transcript. Akpabio has denied making the statement, challenged those promoting it to provide evidence and petitioned the DSS over its circulation.