Senate President Godswill Akpabio has responded to allegations surrounding the past social media activity of an individual linked to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan.
Akpabio said Amupitan, like every citizen, was entitled to personal political preferences, noting that the post in question was made when he was “just a lecturer” and not occupying any public office.
He made the remarks on Tuesday during the commissioning of the new Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS) headquarters in Abuja, where he addressed concerns over a resurfaced social media post allegedly attributed to Amupitan and described by critics as partisan.
According to Akpabio, the controversial statement simply read “victory is sure” without reference to any political party, arguing that it had been wrongly interpreted and politicised.
He stressed that individuals in private life are free to support any candidate or party of their choice, but cautioned that those holding sensitive public offices must remain neutral and act in the interest of all Nigerians.
The comments come amid calls from the African Democratic Congress and some concerned citizens demanding Amupitan’s resignation over alleged past partisan expressions on social media.
Akpabio said critics were misrepresenting the statement, insisting it did not indicate support for any political party.
“He was not chairman of INEC at the time. He was just a lecturer. Anybody can support whoever they wish, but once you occupy a sensitive position, you must serve the entire country impartially,” he said.
He maintained that public officeholders must demonstrate neutrality and consider the wider national interest in their conduct.
