Arewa Group Debunks Alleged Akpabio Anti North Remark, Calls for Caution
The Arewa Revival Project has dismissed as false and fabricated a viral social media post attributing an inflammatory anti Northern statement to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio.
The group said there was no credible evidence that Akpabio made the statement being circulated online, which allegedly claimed that Northerners would be made to suffer between January and May if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu lost the election.
In a statement signed by its Project Coordinator, Hon. Muttaka Ahmed Ibrahim, the Arewa Revival Project described the claim as misleading and politically irresponsible, warning that it could create unnecessary tension between Northern and Southern Nigeria.
The organisation urged Nigerians, particularly citizens of Northern Nigeria, not to allow unattributed social media graphics and unverified political claims to fuel ethnic or regional hostility.
According to the group, the use of a photograph of a public official alongside quotation marks does not constitute evidence that the person actually made the statement attributed to him.
It challenged those circulating the alleged quote to provide verifiable evidence, including a complete video recording, the date and venue where the statement was allegedly made, the full speech or an authentic transcript.
“Until such evidence is produced, Nigerians should treat the claim as an unverified political allegation rather than an established fact,” the group said.
The Arewa Revival Project noted that the Office of the President of the Senate had, during an earlier controversy, denied viral allegations portraying Akpabio as making anti Northern or threatening remarks, describing such claims as false and malicious.
The group also said available reports of Akpabio’s public engagements showed his emphasis on national unity and the need for Nigerians not to allow political differences to threaten the country’s stability.
It particularly recalled reports in which the Senate President stressed that elections would come and go and should not be allowed to threaten Nigeria’s unity.
Commending the Senate President, the Arewa Revival Project said Akpabio had continued to promote cooperation between the Executive and Legislative arms of government while supporting policies and legislation aimed at improving the lives of Nigerians.
The organisation further said the Senate President’s political engagements demonstrated that his interests and relationships transcended regional boundaries.
It noted that Akpabio had continued to engage political stakeholders across the country while advocating grassroots mobilisation and support for President Tinubu’s re election bid in 2027.
The group described as unfortunate attempts to use an unverified social media graphic to create the impression that Akpabio had made statements capable of setting the North against the South.
Addressing Northern Nigerians, the Arewa Revival Project warned against becoming victims of political misinformation as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
It urged citizens to interrogate inflammatory claims before believing or sharing them by asking where and when such statements were made, whether a complete video existed, who published the original material and whether any credible news organisation had independently verified the claim.
The organisation also urged Nigerians to establish whether the person to whom a controversial statement was attributed had personally confirmed making it.
“The Arewa Revival Project believes that political disagreement is legitimate, but deliberately manufactured ethnic and regional hostility is dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy,” the statement said.
The group pledged to continue supporting peaceful political participation, voter education, national unity and constructive engagement between Northern and Southern Nigeria.
It called on Nigerians to disregard the viral quotation attributed to Akpabio unless credible evidence emerged to authenticate it.
The organisation also commended the Senate President for his service to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and urged him, alongside other national leaders, to continue promoting the spirit of national unity.
According to the group, political competition must never be allowed to become a source of ethnic suspicion, regional hatred or division among Nigerians.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us. The North belongs in Nigeria, the South belongs in Nigeria, and together we must protect the unity and democratic future of our country,” the statement concluded.