The ex-governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, has emerged as the Senate President of the 10th Assembly.
Akpabio, a preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was paired with the senator representing Kano South, Jibrin Barau, who emerged as the Deputy Senate President.
The Clerk of the National Assembly declared Akpabio as the Senate President having garnered 63 votes. His rival, a former governor of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari, had 46 votes.
Akpabio served as governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015. He later contested and won the Senate seat of the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District (Ikot Ekpene) to represent.
In July 2019, he was nominated by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari and screened by the Nigerian Senate for a Ministerial appointment. A month later, he was sworn in as Minister for Niger Delta Affairs.
Fraud allegations
In June 2015, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) began an investigation into alleged theft of N108.1 billion of Akwa Ibom funds by Akpabio.
The investigation was triggered by a petition to the commission by an Abuja-based lawyer and activist, Leo Ekpenyong.
Known for ostentatious spending, the ex-governor allegedly colluded with two of his top aides to steal a whopping N108.1 billion from the state’s treasury between January and December 2014.
The EFCC later arrested him for interrogation in Oct. 2015.
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He was also enmeshed in fraud allegations as Buhari’s minister. In May 2020, Akpabio was summoned by members of the National Assembly over the misappropriation of N40 billion perpetrated in the Niger Delta Development Commission, which he headed for three years.
He was also involved the alleged N86 billion contract scam perpetrated by a former Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei.
Earlier this year, EFCC asked Akpabio to report himself to their office over corruption investigation. He did not honour the invitation due to a “scheduled medical appointment overseas.”
‘Godfatherism’
Akpabio is one many former governors who used the Senate as their retirement package. The ex-governors are godfathers that maintain political control of a territory by ensuring that they or their self-chosen appointees are elected to govern such areas.
Aside from being influential, they are rich enough to contribute to the campaign funds of some candidates with the aim of winning elections. They build loyalists around themselves and use their influence to manipulate the rest of society.
Reports have it that they sometimes block the participation of others within their political sphere and dictate party candidates. They do this due to the important leadership positions they hold or have held, their wealth, and their ability to mobilize grassroots support.
