The Senate has directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to investigate viral social media reports alleging the collapse and, in some cases, death of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The resolution followed a point of order raised under Order 42 by Senator Titus Zam, who expressed concern over the circulation of the reports within the last 48 hours.
Zam described the rumours as disturbing and unacceptable, stressing that the Senate President, as Nigeria’s number three citizen, should not be subjected to such misinformation.
“This is a very serious matter. The Senate President is the number three citizen of this country, and reports about his person and office must be properly investigated,” he said.
Read Also: Court did not halt tinted glass enforcement – Police
The senator added that those behind the false reports should be identified and sanctioned in accordance with the law to deter similar actions.
“When sanctions are applied to the promoters of such negative reports, it will discourage others from engaging in this dangerous act against our democracy and our country,” Zam said.
In his response, Akpabio acknowledged the difficulty of controlling narratives on social media, noting that individuals often publish what he described as “garbage in, garbage out.”
He, however, sought clarification on whether it was the collective decision of the Senate to refer the matter to the NSA for investigation.
The motion was subsequently put to a voice vote and adopted, with the Senate resolving that the NSA should probe the source and intent of the rumours surrounding the alleged collapse of the Senate President.
In August, similar speculation had emerged about Akpabio’s health, with reports claiming he was hospitalised after a short vacation in London, United Kingdom.
On his return, the Senate President dismissed the reports, describing them as unfounded.
