Godswill Obot Akpabio
Senator (President of the Senate), Akwa Ibom North-West (Senatorial) · APC
Godswill Akpabio has served as President of the Senate since June 2023, presiding over the 10th National Assembly. Under his leadership the Senate introduced 983 bills and passed 108 into law by mid-2025 according to Senate Leader Bamidele, though Akpabio's own figure for the same period was lower at 96 bills passed, illustrating a recurring transparency problem with official legislative counts. Key outputs include early passage of annual budgets before the fiscal year for three consecutive years, and support for landmark tax reform bills signed into law in June 2025. On constituency delivery, Akpabio commissioned schools, health centres, ICT hubs, and markets in Akwa Ibom North-West in 2025, representing demonstrable project activity. His integrity record is burdened by unresolved EFCC investigations stretching from his Akwa Ibom governorship (alleged N108.1 billion fraud) through his ministerial period (alleged NDDC irregularities of N81.5 billion in seven months), the dismissal without independent investigation of a sexual harassment allegation made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in February 2025, and separate allegations of nepotism in federal appointments. No prosecution has been secured on any matter. His pattern of defection from PDP to APC in 2018 followed by the quieting of his EFCC probe has been widely noted by civil society. The overall record is mixed: a functioning legislative agenda, some constituency delivery, and meaningful diplomatic wins for Nigeria in the Inter-Parliamentary Union, offset by persistent integrity controversies and governance of the chamber in a manner that drew criticism from senators across party lines.
This grade rates performance in office, not any person’s guilt. Criminal matters appear above only as their court status. How we grade.
Sources26
- 1365 Days Of Akpabio's Legislative Diplomacy and the Renewed Hope AgendaBlueprint Newspapers · 2024-06-13
- 2Senate President Akpabio Pledges Legislative Reforms to Guarantee Full LG AutonomyArise News · 2024-10-06
- 3NASS To Revise Existing Laws For Full LG Autonomy — AkpabioLeadership Newspaper · 2024-10-06
- 4Akpabio Commissions Classrooms, ICT Centre, Health Facility, and Market in Akwa IbomTV360 Nigeria · 2025-05-17
- 5Akpabio Concludes Empowerment, Unveiling of Projects in Senatorial DistrictThe Eagle Online · 2025-05-18
- 810th Senate Passed Over 90 Bills, 52 Signed Into Law — Akpabio's AideTV360 Nigeria · 2024-06-13
- 910th Senate at One: Akpabio's Leadership Pedigree in FocusTheCable · 2024-06-13
- 10Walkouts, Suspensions, Showdowns: Inside the Senate Clashes Shaping Akpabio's PresidencyNaija247 News · 2025-01-01
- 11Sen. Natasha's Allegations Must Be Investigated — Amnesty International NigeriaAmnesty International Nigeria · 2025-03-22
- 12Nigerian Senate Suspends Female Senator Who Made Sexual Harassment ClaimAl Jazeera · 2025-03-07
- 13"Your Conduct Is Unacceptable, Unparliamentary" — Senator Goje Tells Senate President AkpabioSahara Reporters · 2025-12-03
- 14When Akpabio Reported ProgressThe NEWS Nigeria · 2025-02-20
- 15Overpriced N355million ICT Centre Facilitated By Senate President Akpabio In Akwa-Ibom Remains Poorly EquippedSahara Reporters · 2025-12-30
- 16Akpabio Inaugurates Projects in Akwa Ibom, Credits Tinubu for Prompt FundingThisDay Live · 2025-08-29
- 17Alleged N108.1bn Fraud: EFCC Arrests Ex-Governor Godswill AkpabioThe Nation Newspaper · 2015-10-01
- 18N108bn Fraud: EFCC Keeps Mum on Akpabio ProbePunch Newspapers · 2017-01-01
- 19Corruption Probe: NDDC Claims to Have Spent N81.5 Billion in 7 MonthsNairametrics · 2020-07-19
- 20EFCC Invites Former Niger Delta Minister, Godswill Akpabio For Fresh Questioning Over Multi-Billion Naira FraudSahara Reporters · 2023-03-29
- 21EFCC Invites Akpabio Over Corruption AllegationPunch Newspapers · 2023-04-29
- 22Miracle of Defection: These Politicians Joined APC, Then Their EFCC Probes Went AwayFoundation for Investigative Journalism · 2021-01-01
- 23Nigeria: Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan — Senate Dismisses Sexual Harassment Petition Against AkpabioAllAfrica · 2025-03-25
- 24Exclusive: How Relatives of Senate President Akpabio, Speaker Abbas, Other Political Elites Secured NCC Jobs Without Due ProcessSahara Reporters · 2025-09-29
- 25Oshiomhole Hits Akpabio, Alleges Ex-NNPC Boss Employed Senate President's DaughterLegit.ng · 2025-01-01
- 26'If a Senator Defects, He Loses His Seat' — Akpabio's Old Post Resurfaces as Defections Rock SenateDaily Post Nigeria · 2025-05-23