The former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of abuse of office and misappropriation of billions of Naira. Akpabio had previously been invited for questioning on March 29 but his lawyer, Umeh Kalu, requested a reschedule due to Akpabio’s ill health.

However, the EFCC has sent a fresh letter asking Akpabio to appear at its headquarters in Abuja on May 9, 2023. The former minister is one of the contenders for the Senate Presidency, and there are reports that he stands a better chance of clinching the support of the party for the position.

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There have been numerous corruption allegations against Akpabio, dating back to his time as governor of Akwa Ibom State, including the alleged theft of N108.1 billion of Akwa Ibom funds. In 2021, he was detained after he attempted to bribe the Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, with $350,000 (about N135 million).

Akpabio was reportedly trying to bribe Bawa because of the tons of corruption allegations against him, and the meeting between Akpabio and Bawa was arranged by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN). It took a call from the Aso Villa to the EFCC Chairman to get Akpabio and his aides released.

Allegations of N40 billion fraud were also made against Akpabio in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), a ministry which he headed for three years.

The Senate and the House of Representatives in 2020 resolved to probe the alleged N40 billion financial recklessness of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC in the previous three months. Additionally, there were allegations of over N86 billion contract scam involving the senator-elect and the former Acting Managing Director of NDDC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, which the EFCC has been looking into.