Akwa Ibom’s political landscape has been roiled in recent days by swirling rumors and unverified claims targeting Senate President Godswill Akpabio, sparked by his relative by marriage, Mrs. Patience Ibanga Akpabio. The allegations, sensational and damaging, threatened to overshadow even the former governor’s critics.
But on Friday, a respected voice rose above the noise. Chief Nse Ntuen, who has known Akpabio for over five decades, stepped forward with a firm defense.
“Let me be clear: Godswill Akpabio is not a killer. These stories are malicious, baseless, and reek of personal bitterness,” Ntuen declared.
A former chairman of Essien Udim Local Government Area — Akpabio’s home turf — and now Honorary Adviser to Governor Umo Eno, Ntuen said he could no longer watch “a good man’s name dragged through the mud of envy and hate.”
He dismissed the allegations as “fiction woven by mischief-makers who mistake attention for truth,” describing the controversy as a product of desperation rather than legitimate grievance.
“Those who cannot stand Akpabio’s rise seek to stain it. But light does not bow to darkness,” Ntuen added.
Recalling Akpabio’s decades of public service — from classroom teacher to commissioner, governor, and now Senate President — Ntuen insisted that no stain of violence or betrayal has ever followed his record.
“To know Akpabio for fifty years is to know a man of strength and generosity — not the monster some are trying to invent,” he said.
Ntuen aligned himself with the Greater Akpabio Family, which recently reaffirmed confidence in the Senate President, calling the controversy “a storm without substance.”
He also issued a broader warning against society’s growing appetite for scandal:
“We must resist this new culture of reckless falsehood. If we turn truth into a toy for politics, we destroy the moral foundation of leadership itself.”
As Akpabio continues working with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on critical legislative reforms, Ntuen said distractions like these were designed to derail focus and divide people.
“At a time when Nigeria needs unity, some choose mischief. But history is patient — and history always vindicates the truthful.”
He praised Akpabio’s composure amid the storm: “In an era where everyone rushes to reply, the Senate President has chosen dignity. His silence is not weakness; it is wisdom.”
Ntuen concluded with a note of defiance and hope: “Let the liars scream. Let the bitter rant. The truth has no expiry date. Akpabio remains our pride — a builder, not a destroyer.”
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