The Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, has denied that he is the brain behind a nationwide protest which will be staged by singer 2face Idibia and other celebrities against the federal government on February 5.
Social media has been awash with speculations that Akpabio, a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, was sponsoring the protest.
Rumours claimed 2face has been friends with Akpabio for a long time and pointed to the Prado SUV he received from the Governor in 2013 as a wedding gift as proof.
But in a statement released by his spokesperson, Anietie Ekong, he made it clear that he had nothing to do with it.
"For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that Senator Akpabio knows nothing about the planned protest neither is he the sponsor," the statement read.
The statement continued: "According to the information being circulated the organizers of the planned protest have stated clearly that their protest is: 'a call for nationwide protests as we say no to the Executive, no to legislatures, no to judiciary.' Is it not idiotic and senseless for anyone to imagine that Senator Akpabio will sponsor a protest against the same arm of government that he is serving as a leader?
"As the Minority Leader, Senator Akpabio has consistently maintained that Nigerians should put aside their differences and support every effort that will pull the country out of the present recession.
"Much as he believes in the right of every Nigerian to express himself, he does not think that mass protest is the solution."
"The mischievous attempt to drag the name of Senator Akpabio into the planned protest should be discountenanced as the handiwork of political jobbers," the statement said.
