The President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has debunked a viral report speculating a plot of his potential impeachment.
“We are here, sitting peacefully, doing our work, oblivious to the mischief happening behind us.
“If they have a lot of traffic… Whoever brought out this fake news must be getting a lot of payment because of the traffic going on. I hope the public understands that this is totally fake news and the chamber is very stable and the issue of impeachment does not come up,” Akpabio said while debunking the report during plenary on Wednesday.
“This kind of falsehood is part of what we face daily. They use AI to manipulate stories, probably to drive traffic and earn money from platforms like YouTube,” the Senate President added.
Akpabio immediately referred the fake news to the Committee on Special Duties for further investigation.
In a swift reaction, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Special Duties, Shehu Kaka, pledged to investigate the matter and report back to the Senate.
Bellnews understands that reports had emerged online alleging that Department of State Services (DSS) operatives stormed the National Assembly (NASS) complex on Wednesday amid a plot to impeach the Senate President.
The report highlighted growing speculations that a faction of disgruntled northern senators, reportedly dissatisfied with President Bola Tinubu, is attempting to revive a previous initiative to oust Akpabio from his position.
It is common practice for parliaments worldwide to maintain dedicated internal security personnel tasked with ensuring order and safety within and around parliamentary premises.
In addition to the internal security forces, other security agencies are deployed to safeguard lives and property in the event of any security breaches or threats that could disrupt the activities of lawmakers and staff, particularly when internal security resources are stretched.
On Wednesday morning, the viral report also claimed that DSS personnel, dressed in dark suits and wearing dark sunglasses, were strategically positioned from the main entrance to the second gate and at all other access points within the premises.
However, The PUNCH reported no unusual deployment of security personnel at the NASS complex on Wednesday, contrary to the viral speculations online.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time such rumours about Akpabio’s impeachment have surfaced.