A coalition of political stakeholders in Akwa Ibom State has firmly rejected calls for the resignation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, following allegations of electoral fraud in the 2019 elections.
The demand, made by 56 civil society organizations (CSOs) including Amnesty International Nigeria and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), was described as unjustified and politically motivated by the Coalition of Democrats (CODE).
In a statement issued after an emergency meeting in Uyo, CODE leadership — Chairman Useneobong Akpabio and Secretary Usoro Akpanusoh — criticized the CSOs’ position as a “political ambush” aimed at distracting the National Assembly and undermining President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“These demands not only lack justification but also demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of legislative processes and democratic governance,” the statement said, defending Akpabio’s record as a stabilizing force in the Senate.
CODE praised Akpabio’s tenure for promoting unity, legislative productivity, and institutional integrity, and called on CSOs to redirect their advocacy toward pressing socio-economic issues rather than “constitutional matters like calling for the resignation of elected officials.”
The group emphasized that Senator Akpabio was neither involved in nor a beneficiary of any alleged 2019 electoral fraud, urging the CSOs to cease their campaign against him.
