Why Akpabio’s Wife Visited the Senate Chamber – Aide

Dr Jibril Lawal Tafida, Special Adviser to the Senate President on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations, has issued a rejoinder dismissing media reports that Mrs Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, wife of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, had “unholy access” to the Senate Chamber.

In a statement personally signed by Dr Tafida, he described the allegations as a product of “misinformation” and “speculative journalism”, clarifying that the visit was purely administrative.

According to the rejoinder, Mrs Akpabio visited the National Assembly complex on a Saturday to personally observe and assess the malfunctioning of equipment and facilities within the House.

This action, it was noted, was undertaken at the request of the President of the Senate, who had received numerous complaints from Senators and employees regarding the poor condition of some structures and the shoddy execution of contractual works.

Dr Tafida strongly denied claims that Ms Akpabio was accompanied by individuals described as “marabouts” or persons of questionable character. Instead, the people present were identified as duly commissioned professionals and technical specialists, including electrical engineers, ICT and audiovisual systems technicians and building maintenance experts whose expertise was required for the inspection.

The Special Adviser stressed that the visit was conducted with the knowledge and authorization of the relevant officials and that there was no violation of security protocols. Regarding the timing of the visit, a Saturday, he noted that it is best to conduct such administrative review when the House is not in session to avoid disrupting legislative activities.

Dr Tafida urged the public to ignore the reports and treat them as an attempt to create a controversy where none exists. He also called on Naijanewsdirect and other media platforms to verify facts before publishing stories that question the character of public officials and their families.

Describing Mrs Akpabio as a woman of integrity known for her philanthropic works, Dr Tafida insisted that the allegations were without substance and designed to distract from the real legislative work of the Senate. He said the Senate President remains focused on providing good governance to Nigerians and will not be deterred by what he described as baseless attacks.

The National Assembly, the statement concludes, remains one of the safest and most well-managed democratic institutions in Africa, expressing full confidence in its protocols and staff.

Contacted for further comment, Dr Tafida declined to elaborate on the contents of the statement, but reiterated that the Senate President’s office would not tolerate what he called “reckless journalism” aimed at tarnishing the image of the Senate President’s family.

Meanwhile, online news platform Naijanewsdirect, which first published the report, had not yet responded to the rejoinder at the time of writing. The publication had previously called for an investigation into the circumstances of Ms Akpabio’s visit, raising concerns over security breaches at the National Assembly complex.

Political observers have noted that the controversy comes at a time when the Senate is deliberating several critical legislative issues, including the 2026 appropriations bill and major constitutional amendment proposals. Some analysts have described the charges as a potential distraction from the serious business of legislating.