By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has challenged former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, to provide documentary evidence to substantiate his allegation that Akpabio introduced a 50 per cent deduction from payments to contractors of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Akpabio said public accountability required evidence rather than campaign declarations, insisting that allegations of wrongdoing must be supported by verifiable facts and subjected to appropriate investigation.
He also said Amaechi’s eight-year tenure as governor of Rivers State deserved public scrutiny, particularly regarding expenditure and outcomes of major projects initiated by his administration.
The Senate President’s position was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, in response to remarks attributed to Amaechi at an ADC political rally in Bauchi on Saturday, November 14, 2026.
According to the statement, Amaechi had alleged that Akpabio introduced a 50 per cent deduction from payments due to NDDC contractors.
Akpabio described the allegation as serious but said Amaechi had not provided contract documents, payment records, identifiable transactions or other verifiable details to support it.
He challenged the former governor to identify the contracts involved, the affected contractors, when the alleged deductions occurred and the payment arrangements through which they were allegedly made.
He also asked Amaechi to provide evidence establishing Akpabio’s personal involvement in the alleged deductions.
The statement quoted Akpabio as saying: “Mr Amaechi is entitled to raise concerns about public administration. He is equally obliged to distinguish what he can substantiate from what he merely alleges.
“The same standard applies to every public officeholder. We therefore invite him to place any credible documentary evidence in his possession before the appropriate authorities so that the issues he has raised may be examined objectively and in accordance with the law.”
He added that public accountability was strengthened when allegations were tested against evidence, public expenditure examined against outcomes and institutions allowed to discharge their responsibilities without political interference.
Amaechi’s Rivers record deserves scrutiny — Akpabio
The Senate President said Amaechi’s tenure as Rivers State governor between 2007 and 2015 was also a legitimate subject of public examination, particularly concerning the cost, completion and sustainability of projects undertaken during the period.
He specifically cited the Port Harcourt monorail project and the Malaria-Free Rivers State initiatives as examples of projects whose implementation and outcomes, according to him, raised questions about public expenditure and value for money.
On the monorail project, Akpabio said its reported cost, incomplete implementation and inability to deliver the anticipated public transportation service warranted examination.
He raised questions about the amount spent on the project, the extent to which its original objectives were achieved and the institutional and contractual decisions that contributed to its difficulties.
According to him, public accountability should extend to every public official entrusted with public resources and authority, irrespective of political affiliation.
“The credibility of a public allegation must rest not on the volume of its delivery, the status of its author or the occasion on which it is made, but on the quality of the evidence supporting it. Let the facts speak,” he said.
2027 elections
Akpabio acknowledged that political disagreements would intensify as the country approaches the 2027 general elections, describing such disagreements as normal in a democracy.
He, however, cautioned political actors against making unsubstantiated allegations capable of undermining public confidence in institutions.
He said allegations concerning the NDDC’s contracts, finances and administration should be addressed through credible investigative processes rather than turned into instruments of political confrontation.
The Senate President stressed that the people of the Niger Delta deserved functional infrastructure, transparent procurement, completed projects and measurable development outcomes.
He added that the interests of the region should remain central to discussions about the commission and its responsibilities.
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