Media aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Kenny Okolugbo, has criticised a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, for what he described as false and irresponsible remarks made during a recent television interview.
Pearse, while speaking on ARISE Television on October 4, accused Akpabio of having corruption cases with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from his time as governor of Akwa Ibom State. He also claimed that the National Assembly under Akpabio’s leadership had turned into a “rubber stamp” institution and was unsafe for female lawmakers.
Reacting on Saturday in another ARISE TV interview, Okolugbo dismissed the allegations, describing them as “reckless and misleading.” According to him, “Adetokunbo Pearse was irresponsible in his claims that Senator Godswill Akpabio had EFCC cases and that female senators were unsafe under his leadership.”
He further explained that he contacted the EFCC after the interview, and the agency confirmed that there was no ongoing or past investigation involving the Senate President. Okolugbo said Pearse’s claims were made without evidence and portrayed him as “speaking like an EFCC staff member.”
Okay News reports that Okolugbo also faulted Pearse’s claim that Akpabio did not contest the senatorial election, noting that the issue had already been resolved by the Supreme Court. He said Akpabio emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress after winning the rerun primary held on June 10, 2022, with 478 votes.
“The Supreme Court affirmed that the APC acted within its rights in conducting the rerun and that Godswill Akpabio was validly nominated. So when someone who says he has a PhD comes on air to deny this, it shows a lack of responsibility,” Okolugbo said.
He also dismissed suggestions that women in the 10th National Assembly were marginalised or unsafe under Akpabio’s leadership. According to him, the Senate President’s legal team has already issued a letter to Pearse, demanding a retraction and public apology within three days.
“He has been given three days to withdraw his statements and apologise publicly on ARISE TV, Channels TV, AIT, and Nigeria Info, and to publish the apology in major newspapers. If he fails, we will make an example of him so others stop using Akpabio as a punching bag,” Okolugbo added.
