By Crystal Ugoeze
Tension erupted in the Senate on Tuesday as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Barau Jibrin, disagreed over alleged remarks attributed to the Senate President about U.S. President Donald Trump.
The disagreement began when Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin insisted that the Senate should debate the declaration of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) by Trump.
Jibrin said he was not afraid to express his opinion on Trump, insisting that as a parliamentarian from a sovereign nation, he had the right to speak his mind.
“In this case, I did not say my mind. I’m coming. Don’t be scared. I can say I’m not scared of Trump. I will say my mind. I’m a sovereign nation. I’m a parliamentarian. I can speak. I’m not scared of Trump. Don’t be scared of Trump. You can say your mind,” Barau said.
Responding, Senate President Akpabio cautioned lawmakers against making unverified statements or allowing misinformation from social media to create unnecessary diplomatic tension.
“Don’t allow people to ascribe what you did not say to you,” Akpabio warned. “Breaking news should not break the society. Someone sat in his room, produced fake reports and pictures from 2016, and claimed that the Senate President answered President Trump. Who am I to answer President Trump?”
Akpabio clarified that he had never made any comment directed at Trump and that the fake report was designed to cause friction and embarrass the Nigerian Senate. He added that petitions had been sent to the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the source of the misinformation.
“The quotation was meant to create a diplomatic row. It is the presidency that can respond to President Trump, not the Senate President. The cybercrime unit of the police and DSS should find the character behind this fake report,” Akpabio said.
He further noted that the Senate had not yet discussed Trump’s alleged comments in plenary and that any official position on the matter would only come after due deliberation in the chamber.
The exchange between Akpabio and Barau briefly stirred murmurs among senators, reflecting growing concerns about misinformation and the role of social media in shaping political narratives.