Former Akwa Ibom State Governor and then-Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has denied reports linking him to the planned nationwide protest announced by popular Nigerian musician, 2Face Idibia, in February 2017.
The protest, scheduled for February 5, 2017, was reportedly intended to draw attention to economic hardship and other concerns affecting Nigerians.
Akpabio’s position was contained in a statement issued by his media aide, Anietie Ekong, in response to reports circulating online that the former governor was allegedly sponsoring the protest.
According to Ekong, the reports were based largely on the fact that Akpabio had presented 2Face and his wife, Annie Macaulay, with two Toyota Prado SUVs as wedding gifts in 2013.
The statement described the attempt to link Akpabio to the planned demonstration as misleading.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that Senator Akpabio knows nothing about the planned protest, neither is he the sponsor,” the statement said.
It further claimed that Akpabio had not had any contact with 2Face for several years.
The statement also questioned why Akpabio, who was serving as Senate Minority Leader at the time, would sponsor a protest directed at the three arms of government.
According to the media aide, organisers of the proposed protest had described it as a call for Nigerians to reject what they considered failures by the executive, legislature and judiciary.
“Is it not senseless for anyone to imagine that Senator Akpabio will sponsor a protest against the same arm of government that he is serving as a leader?” the statement asked.
Akpabio, according to his media aide, maintained that Nigerians should put aside their differences and support efforts aimed at addressing the country’s economic challenges.
While acknowledging the constitutional right of Nigerians to express their views and grievances, he reportedly disagreed with the idea that a mass protest was the best solution to the challenges confronting the country.
The statement urged the public to disregard the reports linking Akpabio to the planned demonstration, describing the attempt to associate him with the protest as politically motivated.
The controversy emerged amid growing public concern over Nigeria’s economic difficulties at the time, with the proposed demonstration attracting significant attention across the country and on social media.
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