A viral graphic circulating on social media has attributed a controversial statement to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, claiming that Northerners would be made to “suffer from January to May” if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election.
The graphic, which features a photograph of Akpabio and identifies him as the President of the Senate, has generated reactions online amid the increasingly heated political debate ahead of the 2027 elections as posted by Idan on X. (iDAN @dangbanamanager)
The alleged statement has particularly attracted attention because of its reference to Northerners and the possibility of consequences should Tinubu fail to secure re-election.
However, the authenticity of the quotation could not be independently established from the material reviewed.
The development is particularly significant because Akpabio's office has previously denied another viral claim attributed to the Senate President concerning the 2027 election.
In May 2026, reports circulated alleging that Akpabio had threatened that Northerners who failed to support Tinubu could be expelled from Nigeria.
Akpabio's office rejected the claim, describing the alleged statement as false, malicious and capable of creating unnecessary political and ethnic tension.
The Senate President's office also reportedly called on security agencies to investigate the source of the viral content and establish where and when the alleged statement was made.
The latest graphic does not provide the date, venue, programme or video from which the purported “January to May” quotation was allegedly taken.
It also does not identify the event at which Akpabio supposedly made the statement.
Consequently, the quotation should not be treated as an authentic statement by the Senate President until the original footage, transcript or a credible report from the event is established.
The wording in the graphic is nonetheless likely to fuel political reactions, particularly as parties and political actors intensify mobilisation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The controversy comes at a time when political rhetoric surrounding the 2027 election has become increasingly intense, with politicians and their supporters debating the prospects of President Tinubu and potential opposition candidates.
Claims attributed to senior political figures can have significant consequences when they touch on regional, ethnic or religious divisions.
For that reason, social-media users have been urged to verify the source of inflammatory quotations before sharing them as statements of fact.
As of the time of publication, there is no reliable evidence in the sources reviewed establishing that Akpabio made the exact statement displayed in the viral graphic.
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