Abuja, Nigeria – Nigerians on social media are calling on Kenny Okolugbo, a media aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, to provide evidence supporting his claim that his X (formerly Twitter) account was hacked, after it published and swiftly deleted a controversial apology to suspended Kogi senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The now-deleted posts, shared around 5:54 am on Saturday, contained what appeared to be a candid confession. Okolugbo allegedly admitted to being part of a coordinated smear campaign orchestrated against Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended from the Senate for six months earlier this year after accusing Akpabio of harassment and abuse of office.
“To err is human, but forgiveness is divine… I have been an integral part of the plans orchestrated by Senator Godswill Akpabio and his cohorts to frame up Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan,” the post read in part.
The post went on to name Sandra Duru, a UK-based Nigerian businesswoman, as a co-conspirator in efforts to clone Akpoti-Uduaghan’s phone lines and manipulate voice recordings, all allegedly designed to discredit the senator and tarnish her reputation.
A Quick U-Turn and Denial
However, just two hours later, Okolugbo posted a disclaimer, claiming his account had been compromised. He insisted that he did not author the apology and suggested a malicious third party was behind the post.
“My Twitter account has been hacked… Liborous Oshoma just called my attention to it,” he wrote.
“I am making a video right now. How desperate can these people be?”
In a video released shortly after, the aide doubled down on his denial, suggesting the post was a fabrication aimed at discrediting him and his principal.
“Why would I apologize to Senator Natasha for a case I firmly believe she fabricated against Senator Akpabio? I am the communications and strategy consultant to the Senate President. This is clearly from the pit of hell,” Okolugbo said.
“We are already investigating this act of digital sabotage. I completely disclaim those tweets and urge Nigerians to disregard them.”
Nigerians Demand Transparency and Evidence
Despite the denial, Nigerians online are not convinced. Many are demanding verifiable proof that Okolugbo’s account was indeed compromised.
Ozigi Abdulsalam, one of the first users to challenge the aide, demanded to see the official email or notification from X confirming unauthorized access to his account.
“Show us the mail Twitter sent to inform you of a malicious login. This is a damage control video. You’re under duress,” Abdulsalam wrote.
Another user, David Azuokuw, questioned the logic of tweeting from a supposedly hacked account.
“How could you be tweeting from the account that was hacked? And why didn’t you delete the tweets from your trend history?”
A user with the handle Olly also poked holes in the denial, saying:
“Suddenly, we’re supposed to believe your account was hacked, but disbelieve Natasha’s voice was cloned? You didn’t even say you retrieved your account. You’re tweeting with it while it’s supposedly under a hacker’s control?”
A Deeper Crisis Unfolding?
The incident has intensified scrutiny on the Senate’s controversial suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan on March 6, 2024, after she alleged sexual harassment and political victimization by Senate President Akpabio. Her suspension was widely criticized as procedurally flawed, as she was reportedly not given the chance to defend herself or present evidence before being sanctioned.
The leaked tweets whether authentic or fabricated have now rekindled public interest in the circumstances surrounding her suspension and the broader culture of political silencing and image manipulation in Nigeria’s corridors of power.
For many Nigerians, the saga is not just about whether Okolugbo’s account was hacked, but about whether whistleblowers and dissenting voices within the system are being coerced into silence or perhaps even threatened into denial.
Until concrete proof emerges either confirming a hack or validating the apology the court of public opinion remains skeptical.
Post a Comment