Senate President Godswill Akpabio has petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) over an alleged anti-Northern statement being circulated on Facebook and other social media platforms.
Akpabio’s Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, made the petition available to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.
The petition, filed by Akpabio’s Chief of Staff, Chinedu Akubueze, on behalf of the Senate President, urged the DSS to investigate what it described as a false, inflammatory and divisive statement attributed to Akpabio.
The social media post, which featured Akpabio’s photograph and official designation, allegedly quoted him as warning Northerners that they would suffer the most if President Bola Tinubu lost the 2027 election.
However, Akpabio’s office denied that he made the statement, saying there was no evidence in the form of a speech, interview, video, audio recording, official statement or credible news report to authenticate the claim.
The petition also alleged that the graphic had no identifiable publisher or verifiable source and may have been deliberately designed to appear as an official statement.
Akubueze said the material could mislead the public, provoke anger against Akpabio and create the impression that the Senate President was threatening people from Northern Nigeria.
The petition named some Facebook users who allegedly shared the graphic at an early stage, including Abdullai Musa and Uzoma Chilaka. A verified Facebook account belonging to Ibrahim Umar Ammar was also mentioned as having later shared the material.
Akpabio’s office, however, stressed that the individuals named should not be presumed guilty before the conclusion of any investigation.
It urged the DSS to examine the publication records, devices, communications and origin of the graphic to determine its creator, original uploader, sponsors and distribution network.
The petition comes amid heightened political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, with social media increasingly being used by politicians and supporters for campaigns and mobilisation.
