Lawyer and politician Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio CON was born in Nigeria on December 9, 1962.
Akpabio is currently serving as the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria starting from June 13 2023.
He served as the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs until he resigned on May 11, 2022, at the request of President Muhammadu Buhari to run in the APC’s presidential primary.
He also held the position of governor of Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom State from May 29, 2007, until May 29, 2015.
Godswill served as Senate Minority Leader of the Senate between 2015 and 2019.
FAMILY
Godswill Akpabio, of Ukana, Ikot Ntuen in the Essien Udim Local Government Area, is the son of Chief Obot Akpabio and Madam Lucy Obot Akpabio (née Inyangetor).
He was conceived on December 9, 1962. He was reared by his mother after losing his father at a young age.
Okuku Udo Akpabio, Akpabio’s grandfather, served as the province of Ikot Ekpene’s Warrant Chief.
Dr. I. U. Akpabio, his uncle, served as the former Eastern Region of Nigeria’s Minister of Education and Internal Affairs.
In the Second Nigerian Republic, his cousin Justice Nsima Akpabio served as a senator.
The creator of the Family Life Enhancement Initiative (FLEI), a non-governmental organization that offers a forum for refocusing development efforts on the family as a strategy for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, is married to Akpabio.
Akpabio and his wife have a son and four daughters.
EDUCATION
In addition to the Methodist Primary School in Ukana, Essien Udim LGA, Akwa Ibom State, the Federal Government College in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and the University of Calabar, Cross River State, where he earned a law degree, Akpabio received his education there.
He was made the Senior Prefect while attending the Federal Government College in Port Harcourt.
Akpabio was chosen to serve as the student government’s speaker at the University of Calabar.
CAREER
After beginning his career as a teacher, Akpabio briefly worked for the Nigerian law firm Paul Usoro & Co.
He briefly worked as a teacher as well. He also worked for EMIS Telecoms Ltd, a telecom business with headquarters in Lagos. Prior to joining EMIS, he was a director of ATCOM and the National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Telecommunication Companies in Nigeria (ATCOM).
In 2002, he was promoted to CEO of the business. In 2002, Godswill Akpabio was chosen to serve as the Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources in Akwa Ibom State under the leadership of Obong Victor Attah.
He has previously held positions as commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs as well as commissioner for lands and housing before 2006.
After winning the primary election against 57 other candidates, he was chosen to represent the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2007 gubernatorial election.
In 2007, he was appointed governor of Akwa Ibom State, a position he held for an additional four years.
In the National Assembly’s South-South faction of the People’s Democratic Party, Akpabio was appointed Senate Minority Leader in 2015.
The “Power of Majority” was taken away from the PDP caucus in the Senate by the APC’s victory in the 2015 election.
After switching over to the ruling party, the APC, Akpabio resigned in 2018 in his position as Senate Minority Leader.
President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him a minister of the federal republic in 2019.
Before resigning to run for president on August 21st, 2019, he was sworn in as the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs.
Senator Godswill Akpabio left his post as Niger Delta minister in June 2022.
This highly lucrative ministry, which oversaw the Niger Delta Development Commission’s operations, resigned on the night of the primaries in favor of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who ultimately won the race for the All Progressive Congress’ presidential nomination.
Godswill Obot Akpabio won the nomination for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District a few days after the presidential primary elections. However, it was surrounded by allegations of wrongdoing from party members in the State.
After winning 115,401 votes in the general election of 2023, the party’s standard-bearer went on to overcome Mr. Enoidem, who received 69,838 votes, to become the senator-elect.
Akpabio emerged as the Senate President of Nigeria after defeating his rival Yari in the June 13 Senate Presidency race. Akpabio polled 63 votes while Yari pooled 47 votes.
CONTROVERSY
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was looking into Godswill Akpabio on suspicions that he stole more than 100 billion Naira from Akwa Ibom State while serving as governor (2007–2015), with an American diplomat describing the level of corruption as “exceptional” during that time.
But no complaints have been made. Leo Ekpenyong, a lawyer who also accused Akpabio of corruption, was later charged with slander by the police and appeared in court.
According to Sahara Reporters, Akpabio presented Farida Waziri, the head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with a $500,000 Mercedes Benz GL 450 in 2008.
Akpabio set up a private screening for a few reporters to confirm that the automobile was in fact one of the governor’s security personnel in an effort to disprove the corruption case.
The ruse was discovered when it was noticed that the displayed car’s chassis number, WDC 1648722A390877, was different from the one used to bribe Waziri, WDC 1648711A 390877.
The fact that the license plate for the automobile, SB 456 AAA, which Governor Akpabio claimed was in his security pool, was issued to a Chief C. Orizu of Adotolo Nnewi in Anambra State rather than the Akwa Ibom State Government, is another another damning piece of evidence against Akpabio.
Members of the House of Representatives called Akpabio to testify in May 2020 on the theft of 40 billion Naira.
NET WORTH
The amount of money Godswill Akpabio is worth has increased over time. His estimated net worth is $150 million, nevertheless.