Key Highlights
- Akpabio was under investigation by the EFCC in June 2015 over the alleged theft of about N108 billion belonging to Akwa Ibom State during his tenure as governor.
- Also, in May 2020, Akpabio was under investigation by members of the national assembly over the misappropriation of N40 billion NDDC funds.
- A former acting managing director of NDDC, Joy Nunieh, said Mr. Akpabio had wanted her to take an oath, which would have restrained her from exposing fraud at the commission and accused him of sexual harassment.
The former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godwill Akpabio, was earlier elected as the new Senate President of the 10th National Assembly in a keenly contested election.
Akpabio, who was the preferred candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), polled 63 votes to beat his only challenger, a former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’aziz Yari, who got 46 votes.
However, the victory of Akpabio, who appears to be among the luckiest politicians in this current political dispensation did not come easy as some senators from his party rebelled against his choice by the leadership of the party and President Bola Tinubu.
His candidacy for the Office of the Senate President was also opposed by some interest groups and some members of the opposition for issues ranging from corruption allegations, alleged disrespect for the national assembly during his tenure as a minister, and alleged mismanagement of NDDC funds, among others.
The former senate minority leader who resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defected to APC in 2018, has not been short of scandals in his eventful political career.
Corruption allegations
Godswill Akpabio in June 2015, was under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged theft of about N108 billion belonging to Akwa Ibom State during his time as governor (2007-2015) with American diplomats calling the level of corruption “exceptional” during his tenure.
The action followed a petition forwarded to the commission by an Abuja-based lawyer and activist, Leo Ekpenyong. However, no charges have been filed. Ekpenyong was later arraigned by the police in court for defamation.
Also, in May 2020, Akpabio was under investigation by members of the national assembly over the misappropriation of N40 billion NDDC funds. He was fingered as fuelling the crisis between the National Assembly and the NDDC.
The EFCC had also in March 2023 invited Godswill Akpabio to its headquarters in Abuja over an allegation of abuse of office and misappropriation of billions of Naira.
However, Akpabio, through his lawyer, Umeh Kalu, SAN, said in a letter to the commission dated March 27 that his client would not be able to honour the invitation due to a scheduled medical appointment overseas. The former minister then disappeared only to return to the country some days after the president came into the country to continue his race for the Senate Presidency.
Sexual harassment allegation
A former acting managing director of NDDC, Joy Nunieh, said Mr. Akpabio had wanted her to take an oath, which would have restrained her from exposing fraud at the commission.
She once said, “For instance, he told me to raise a memo to fraudulently award emergency contracts for flood victims in the Niger Delta.”
Nunieh also claimed that she once slapped the minister at his guest house in Abuja for sexually assaulting her, saying that she is the only Nigerian woman who has slapped the minister. Akpabio in turn denied her allegations and sued her for defamation.
Akpabio, while dismissing the allegations of fraud against him, accused Mrs. Nunieh of having a temperamental problem as well as a character problem with claims that this was best shown in her failed marriages.
