Akpabio’s six most embarrassing public commentsThe Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has been in the spotlight lately because of his comments during plenary but the senator is not new to controversial and embarrassing comments.Here are Mr Akpabio’s six most embarrassing public comments as compiled by PREMIUM TIMES.

1. N1 million lunch money for ‘hungry’ PDP chairmen

Godswill Akpabio, in March 2013, while he was the governor of Akwa Ibom State, stunned fellow Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders during a South-south zonal meeting of the party in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when he said publicly, in front of television cameras, that he was doling out N1 million to each “hungry” state chairmen of the PDP for them to go have lunch at a fast- food outlet called Mr Bigg’s.

“My brother Governor, Uduaghan, said our members are hungry and that we must put food in their stomachs so that they don’t stray to other parties. I am giving all the state chairmen of the party N1 million right now for Mr Biggs. Our members must not be hungry,” Mr Akpabio said.

The then National Chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur was at the meeting. He had led party leaders from Abuja to Port Harcourt for the meeting which was meant to reconcile feuding factions and restore peace to bickering state chapters.

The party leaders at the venue exchanged furtive glances in embarrassment over Mr Akpabio’s remarks. Shortly afterwards, the then Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and his Delta State counterpart, Emmanuel Uduaghan, walked out of the venue. Both did not return.

Mr Akpabio, however, continued his speech, asking all the PDP members in the region to rally around their son, President Goodluck Jonathan.

2. Akpabio confessed to rigging election on live TV

Mr Akpabio shocked Nigerians in March 2013, when he confessed on live TV how he had rigged the PDP senatorial primary election in Akwa Ibom State.

Mr Akpabio, still the governor of Akwa Ibom then, said he falsified a senatorial election result and personally replaced the winner with his preferred candidate.

He said this while he was addressing a delegation led by the then Minister of Information, Labaran Maku on a “Good governance tour” to Uyo.

While addressing the visiting delegation on his administration’s achievements, Mr Akpabio, seeking to impress his sense of evenhandedness on the audience, said he struck off the name of the winner of the Akwa Ibom North-West District in his party’s primaries and replaced same with Aloysius Etok.

Mr Etok went on to win the main elections and was later appointed the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service matters. “The people of Ikono and Ini (local government areas) from 1960 have never produced a senator,” Mr Akpabio narrated.

“I used my own hand to strike out the name of the person who has won before, and I said it is important for me to give that region a senator in 2007, and I produced Senator Aloysius Etok for you; that’s where he comes from,” he said, before gesturing to Mr Etok, who attended the session alongside his colleague in the Senate, Ita Enang, to “take a bow”.

The disclosure jolted the audience and the governor’s associates who exchanged awkward glances. Several minutes later, an aide to the governor passed him (Mr Akpabio) a note, apparently drawing Mr Akpabio’s attention to the devastating consequences of his comments. Mr Akpabio gave the note some attention, before backtracking on his earlier comments.

3. ‘Honourable minister, it’s okay, it’s okay. Off your mic!’ drama

Mr Akpabio took on federal lawmakers, on 20 July 2020, while he was the minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
He accused members of the National Assembly of cornering most of the contracts in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) during a National Assembly investigative hearing.

“Most of the contracts in the NDDC are given out to members of the National Assembly, but you don’t know about it,” Mr Akpabio said to a female member of the investigative panel who was aggressively throwing questions at the then minister.

Rattled, the chairman of the panel, Thomas Ereyitomi, asked the minister to discontinue his testimony which was broadcast live. “Honourable minister, it’s okay, it’s okay. Off your mic!” Mr Ereyitomi kept shouting.

An enraged Mr Akpabio, after the public hearing, went ahead to name lawmakers who allegedly got contracts from NDDC. But he later made a U-turn and denied accusing members of the National Assembly of benefiting from NDDC contracts.

Mr Akpabio himself had been accused of inserting N500 million worth of projects into the 2017 budget of the NDDC when he was the Senate minority leader, an accusation his spokesperson, Anietie Ekong, dismissed as “nothing extraordinary”.

4. ‘Fear God, gun, and government’

In the heat of the campaign for his election as president of the 10th Senate, Mr Akpabio, in May, made a brief appearance at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, where the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, was meeting with members-elect of the House.

The meeting was convened to persuade the lawmakers-elect to support President Tinubu’s choice as the new speaker. “Yesterday, I met the party. I actually left a sentence with them or thereabouts. Should I leave the sentence with you?” Mr Akpabio said to the lawmakers-elect.

“In your daily dealings, my late mother told me that I should be aware of the 3Gs: The first G is God; the second G is Gun and the third G is Government.

“The first G is God Almighty. The second G is what? Gun and the third one is (the) Government. May you conduct yourself mindful of the admonition of my late mother, by respecting the 3Gs, particularly the government,” he said.

The senator’s remark was clearly a veiled threat to the lawmakers-elect to support Mr Tinubu’s candidate or be ready to face some consequences.

5. ‘What money cannot do, more money can do’

Very similar to Mr Akpabio’s ‘fear God, gun, and government’- comment is this one which is perhaps considered as the senator’s most infamous comment – “What money cannot do, more money can do”.

Mr Akpabio reportedly made the comment when he was the governor of Akwa Ibom State. The remark, which apparently means that any man could be bought over if enticed with a huge amount of cash, underscores the influence of money (corruption) in Nigeria’s politics.Mr Akpabio is not known to have denied making the comment.

6. ‘Prayers to senators’ mailboxes’

Mr Akpabio earlier this month made a gaffe during plenary when he mistakenly revealed that money has been sent to senators to “enjoy” their recess.

The Senate president, who forgot that the proceeding was being streamed live, began to address his colleagues before adjournment motion was moved at the end of the Senate’s ministerial screening.

“In order to enable all of us to enjoy our holidays, a token has been sent to our various accounts by the Clerk of the National Assembly,” he said.

When he was immediately informed by his colleagues that he was speaking on live television, Mr Akpabio quickly withdrew his comment.

“In order to allow you to enjoy your holiday, the senate president has sent prayers to your mailboxes to assist you to go on a safe journey and return,” Mr Akpabio rephrased the comment, apparently to correct what was considered an embarrassment.

Nigerians were outraged by Mr Akpabio’s revelation, given the economic hardship in the country.

PREMIUM TIMES later found out that the 109 senators got N2 million each, and that the “holiday allowance” was illegal as it is not provided for in the remuneration package approved by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the body authorised by law to prepare salaries and allowances for public servants.

“He made a very wrong statement, and I warned him immediately that his comments were unbecoming of an elder. In fact, we are even planning to take drastic action against him if he continues making unguarded statements and acting as if we are kids,” the Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume said of Mr Akpabio’s embarrassing comment.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/616693-akpabios-six-most-embarrassing-public-comments.html Mynd44 nlfpmod

-President: Drug baron, Certificate forger, Identity theft specialist, Hirer of Agbadorian Bishops, Bullion vans criminal.

-VP: BH terrorists apologist.

-Senate president: #108B Corruption EFCC Guest.

You can't expect anything less when the head is rotten. Corruption have long been legalised. Yet citizens are preoccupied with ethno-politico-religious sentiments.

"A token( 218, 000, 000) have been sent into your accounts to go enjoy the holiday....." And immediately he rephrased it again; "The senate president has sent prayer wishes into your emails..." This is the most corrupt senate president enthroned by an equally corruption president.

Racoon:


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/616693-akpabios-six-most-embarrassing-public-comments.html

Still nothing compared to Tinubu

Premium newspaper is from the Onyi Dot people. They will never see anything good in person.. But their own people and yet nobody know their tribe in the global map... Except for drugs related issues and Organ harvest like the case of Ekewerwmadu and child traffic....
..

Tueh..... I spit on their flatted head..

What's embarrassing in his statements here?

Nothing, he's so far one of the forthcoming and outspoken politicians in Nigeria.


Many policitians are liars but he always speak his truth no matter what.


Ofcoz the NASS always have their pay before going on recess and that's not an embarrassment. Whether he said it or not, we all know that to be a fact!

Godswill Akpabio is a megalomaniac suffering from delusions of grandeur. He is so full of himself and his ego that there no space for common sense anymore. He was made Senate President to make life easy for President Tinubu but he will struggle to last on the job because that position needs someone who is not given to buffoonery and 'anyhow' mentality.

Racoon:
PREMIUM TIMES later found out that the 109 senators got N2 million each, and that the “holiday allowance” was illegal as it is not provided for in the remuneration package approved by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, the body authorised by law to prepare salaries and allowances for public servants.

If the money was not provided for, where then did the Clerk got the money to share for the house?

Una just the look for something that's irrelevant to make a deal out of it....

Taylor90:
If you and Akpabio do fraud just pray make police catch you instead of Akpabio

Because anything wey make police torture Akpabio he go sing full album give police

Loosed mouthed criminal

You'd rather prefer a liar for a politician than a truthful one?


No wonder the country is where it is.... Because you guys prefer the lies you read and get told than a politician who tells you what it is and how it is.

JASONjnr:
If the money was not provided for, where then did the Clerk got the money to share for the house? Una just the look for something that's irrelevant to make a deal out of it....

The money was not an approved renumeration according to the RMAC and the senators are shutting him down from exposing them? These crooks knows how to unite when it comes to corruption. Karma will surely punish all of them.

Useless politicians. The only thing they care about is looting, looting and more looting

Racoon:
The money was approved and the senators are shutting him down from exposing them? These crooks knows how to unit when it comes to corruption. Karma will surely punish all of them.

Now, how is it embarrassing as Akpabio is even more upright and trustworthy.


He stands out as one of the best governor of his time.

Nigerians need people like him. Not Tinubu who wouldn't be open as to how he got his wealth and degree!

Oga prayer warrior

He has very interesting quotes I must confess.

APC is rubbish...just look at the type of people coming out to support them. Like attracts like

Lolz.. na dem dem

Very predictable and pathetic people, just because they met in one of APC member daughter's wedding as a guest and they all snap picture together with obi now, una don start to dey bring story out. Nawao

From time to time God gives us the kind of leaders we deserve to rule over us until we learn our lessons

Jagaban2012:
Premium newspaper is from the Onyi Dot people. They will never see anything good in person.. But their own people and yet nobody know their tribe in the global map... Except for drugs related issues and Organ harvest like the case of Ekewerwmadu and child traffic....
..

Tueh..... I spit on their flatted head..

It’s only Igbo Christian’s. Igbo Muslims are nice

Politicians don't usually get embarrassed, its the same people they put under subjugation that get embarrassed on their behalf.

Aside politics, Akpabio is a man of humour with no dull moments

Those things don't matter in Nigeria.

Nigeria is the place where politicians enjoy scandals like rice and beans, because the very people that they oppress will make excuses for them and even brag they are less fortunate than their other region's counterparts.

I just hope that this country is redeemable.

Interesting times

Mu² politicians

K

Like him or hate him.
He's the current Number 3 .

Embarrassing?

To whom?

You or him?

Cos the dude is clearly not embarrassed.

The big thief is fighting too hard to displace Sabinus the comedian.

Nigeria and Nigerians are a joke to him. Making him a Senate President is an even bigger joke to him.

I've been pleading with them to complete the holy trinity/trilogy by making my uncle (Ibori) the head of EFCC.

eTut0r:
Mistakes are part of life

E tutor kill you there