Nigeria's Senate President Godswill Akpabio Distances Himself From Viral Quote About Presidential Private Jets

5 August 2024
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Muktar Balogun

IN SHORT: According to Facebook posts, Nigeria's senate president said the senate would approve the purchase of private jets for the president, regardless of the state of the country's economy. But Godswill Akpabio has denied the quote attributed to him.

Several Facebook posts have attributed a controversial quote to Nigeria's senate president Godswill Akpabio.

The quote reads: "We know Nigerians are hungry, but that will not stop us to approve private jet for Mr. President. His live is more important now than ordinary citizens. We have to do that as fast as possible."

Akpabio also served as the governor of Akwa Ibom state from 2007 to 2015.

On 15 June 2024, Premium Times reported that the senate committee on national security and intelligence had backed the call for new aircraft for president Bola Tinubu and vice president Kassim Shettima.

By June, the presidential air fleet consisted of 10 aircraft - six planes and four helicopters.

Leader of the opposition Labour Party, Peter Obi, has described the plan to buy new aircraft for the presidential fleet as insensitive as Nigerians continue to struggle with the high cost of living.

Headline inflation rose to 34.19% in June, compared with 33.95% in May, suggesting that inflation continues to rise under the current government.

The quote can also be found here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)

But did Akpabio make this statement? We checked.

Akpabio denies statement

The statement by Akpabio, if true, would have been condemned by many. It would also have attracted the attention of the local media, but we found no such reports from credible news outlets.

In June, Akpabio denied ever making the comment.

Akpabio told the media: "I want to dispel the rumour that you are hearing that the senate president said he will buy a new plane for the president and his vice, irrespective of the fact that Nigerians are hungry or whatever. I never said that."

Senate majority leader Michael Bamidele said the request for new planes had never been discussed "either on the floor of this Senate or among individual senators or at the executive session".

Other posts making the claim can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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