Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio has firmly dismissed circulating reports that the Department of State Services (DSS) had intervened in the National Assembly due to alleged impeachment efforts against key figures in the Senate. Speaking during Wednesday’s plenary, Akpabio clarified that his attention had been drawn to the claims, but he insisted that such reports were entirely fabricated.
Akpabio expressed his frustration with the spread of misinformation, stating that false news stories are becoming rampant, especially online. “This is nothing but fake news,” he remarked. “The issue of impeachment involving principal officers never came up, and here we are conducting our legislative duties without any disputes or crises.” He pointed out the dangers posed by digital platforms and artificial intelligence in creating and amplifying baseless reports, likely to attract significant attention and traffic. “It seems some media outlets can now trigger AI-generated stories, causing false news to trend. I imagine the traffic for this particular fabrication is already high,” Akpabio added.
In response to the situation, Akpabio referred the matter to the Senate Committee on Special Duties, tasking them with investigating the source of the rumors. The Committee was directed to present its findings to the full Senate within 24 hours, underscoring the urgency with which Akpabio intends to address the spread of false information.