Aide sets record straight on Akpabio’s health

Recent social media reports suggesting that Senate President Godswill Akpabio is unwell have been dismissed by his communications consultant, Kenny Okolugbo.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday, Okolugbo described the rumours as baseless and unfounded. He said the Senate President is actively attending to his official duties.

“The Senate President is very healthy. You saw him; he’s been attending sessions, and that answers the question,” Okolugbo said.

The aide compared the situation to similar rumours that once circulated about Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who was reported to be incapacitated but was soon seen commissioning projects and participating in live programmes.

“Even Minister Wike was affected by similar rumours. One day they said he was in a coma or had suffered a stroke, and the next day he was commissioning projects and appeared on a live programme,” Okolugbo added.

He also warned about the dangers of misinformation on social media and called for stronger regulation. “Everybody’s a publisher online, but they don’t seem to understand that the law prohibits sharing information you are not sure of,” he said.

The rumours emerged after reports claimed on Monday that Akpabio had collapsed and was flown on a private jet to London for treatment. The report also suggested that this prevented him from attending official duties, including the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper interactive session on Wednesday.