The Senate president, Godswill Akpabio and youths from his senatorial district, Ikot Ekpene, have dismissed the allegations by Princess Pat Akpabio, the sister in-law to the former governor, describing it as an “attention seeking adventure.”
Princess Akpabio had in a video called out her brother-in-law, Senator Akpabio, over alleged incompetence as the Senate president and involvement in the alleged killing of some Akwa Ibom people when he was the governor.
She threatened to divulge more secrets if Akpabio fails to address her claims even as she declared interest in contesting against senator Akpabio in the 2027 elections.
The recent outburst has since generated diverse reactions in the state as so many people described it as a family feud occasioned by greed and power tussle while others called for a ceasefire.
However, a coalition of youth groups in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in a press conference on Saturday, urged the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun to investigate the allegations and impress on Princess to back her allegations with proofs.
The president, Chief Umo Assiak, who spoke on behalf of the coalition, also said plans were underway to petition the American government, where Princess Akpabio resides to mandate her to come home to prove what she alleged, saying they would not allow such grevious claims to be swept under the carpet.
Assiak admitted that though what was happening between Akpabio and his sister-in-law was a family altercation, the coalition would not allow the image of the Senate president whom he described as a benefactor to so many families to be dragged in the mud by “unsubstantial allegations.”
According to him, “We condemn in the strongest terms these careless statements and online publications aimed at ridiculing the Senate President. The social media space should not be turned into a weapon of blackmail or a platform for personal grudges. Nigeria is a country governed by laws, and freedom of speech does not give anyone the right to defame or insult others without consequence.
“The Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Youth Coalition views these attacks as an insult to the collective integrity of our people. It is both shameful and disappointing that individuals who once benefited from Akpabio’s goodwill and leadership have now chosen to repay kindness with public disrespect.
“The Coalition wishes to remind the public that the cybercrime law is real. it is a criminal offense to use the internet to send messages or content that are false, offensive, or intended to cause annoyance, hatred, or ill will.
“We therefore call on the Inspector-General of Police to investigate these malicious online attacks and bring those responsible to justice. No one should be above the law. We are also writing to the American government that Pat must come and defend what she said.”
Reacting, Senator Akpabio, through his spokesperson, Eseme Eyiboh, wondered why someone who levels such a heavy allegation would resort to Facebook as a vehicle instead of using a legal process or reporting to security agencies for investigation.
He insisted that whoever asserts must prove, saying the issue of murder is “not an issue that one should use in seeking attention rather go through formal process to complain.
Eyiboh noted that it was irrational to accuse Akpabio of killing some people during his administration as governor when insecurity was not just peculiar to Akwa Ibom but a national issue even in previous administrations.
“You know an allegation of that nature, or within our criminal justice administration, you don’t use social media to probe. There has to be a formal complaint.The principle of law is very clear, whoever alleges must prove and that proof has to be a process. You have to report it to the law enforcement agency. It will be investigated and when the criminal case is established, they take it to court. The court will now decide. So it’s not a social media thing. We don’t want to go into social media trolling. Whoever alleges should prove,” he said.
