Is It True Akpabio Announced His Resignation From APC in Viral Video? Fact Emerges
- A Facebook page shared an 18-second video claiming Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced his resignation from the APC
- The clip attracted widespread reactions online, with some users questioning whether the footage was authentic or AI-generated
- Fact-checkers at DUBAWA traced the video to a longer clip that told a very different story about who actually resigned
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A viral video circulating on Facebook has falsely portrayed Nigerian Senate President Godswill Akpabio as announcing his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The 18-second clip, shared by a Facebook page called The Opposition, featured audio of Akpabio saying, "I write to formally tender my resignation letter from the APC effective today. This decision has not been taken lightly..." The post drew significant engagement, with many users divided over whether the footage was genuine.
Source: Twitter
Christian Nnabugo commented, "AI at work. If he tries it, he's going to jail the next day." Henry Paul wrote, "He can only leave when APC is no longer in power, but as long as APC is still in power, till death do part." Luke Ugwu offered a different read, saying, "He was reading another person's letter on the floor," while Oluwafemi Adeyemo added, "AI. But truly, if he joins NDC, he will be one of the great politicians by Obidient."
2027 election: How the claim was verified
Nigerian fact-checking organisation, Dubawa, investigated the claim given Akpabio's senior political position and the politically charged climate ahead of the 2027 elections. Researchers took a screenshot from the clip and ran a reverse image search, which led them to a longer version of the same footage, running seven minutes and 44 seconds, posted on the Facebook page Osogbo Updates.
The full video made clear that Akpabio was not tendering his own resignation. He was on the floor of the Senate, reading aloud a resignation letter submitted by Olubiyi Fadeyi Ajagunla, the senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District, who announced his departure from the APC and his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in July 2026.
DUBAWA also reviewed the official social media accounts of the APC, the Nigerian Senate and Akpabio himself. None carried any announcement of Akpabio resigning from the party.
The claim is false. The viral clip was cut from a longer Senate session recording and stripped of the context that would have shown Akpabio was acting in his capacity as Senate President, not making a personal political declaration. The senator who actually resigned from the APC was Olubiyi Fadeyi Ajagunla, not Godswill Akpabio.
Watch the video on Facebook here:
Tinubu meets Akpabio behind closed-door
Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu met Senate President Godswill Akpabio behind closed doors at Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday.
Akpabio's official Mercedes sedan arrived at the President's office forecourt at exactly 6:12 pm, hours before the campaign season kicks off.
The agenda of the meeting was not disclosed, though the Minister of Information was reportedly with Tinubu just before Akpabio arrived.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
