The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has condemned former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, for his remarks against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Recall that Atiku had accused Akpabio of corruption and sexual harassment, sparking outrage from the APC.
In an interview with journalist Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie on Untold Stories on Tuesday, Atiku claimed the National Assembly hastily approved the emergency rule imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu due to the corrupt leadership. Atiku said, “I was not surprised because I know that the leadership is corrupt, and I have no apologies for that. They could do anything.”
Atiku further alleged that Akpabio, while serving as governor, had a history of corruption and abusing women. “The Senate President is actually known for having that type of character, even when he was a governor. He was corrupt. Not only was he corrupt, but he was also in the habit of abusing women,” Atiku said.
In response, the Akwa Ibom APC criticized Atiku’s comments as reckless and unbecoming of a political figure of his stature. The party defended Akpabio through a statement issued in Uyo, the state capital. Iniobong John, Director-General of the APC Media Network, described Atiku’s remarks as reckless and inappropriate for someone of his caliber.
“We find it necessary to respond to the recent remarks made by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has not only accused Senator Godswill Akpabio, the President of the Senate, of corruption but has also alleged that he has a propensity to abuse women. Such statements are, to say the least, reckless and unbecoming of a public figure of his standing,” John said.
John also pointed out that Atiku is widely recognized as one of the most corrupt politicians in Nigeria. “Historically, Atiku Abubakar is recognised as the most corrupt politician in Nigeria. During his tenure as vice president, he abused his office to fraudulently acquire numerous national assets,” he stated. John referred to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s autobiography My Watch, where Obasanjo dedicated several chapters to detailing Atiku’s misuse of power to illegally acquire national assets.
“These allegations have been affirmed by his former principal, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, who has categorically stated that Atiku is too corrupt to be entrusted with any public office in our nation,” John added. “It is clear that someone with such a tarnished reputation lacks the moral standing to accuse others of corruption.”
John further dismissed allegations made by suspended Kogi lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, against Akpabio, calling them “thoroughly discredited” due to her lack of evidence and political motivations. “It is shocking that despite her reputation as a content creator and serial blackmailer, Atiku Abubakar would still choose to amplify her baseless claims,” John said.
