Rumours suggesting that the Senate President of Nigeria, Godswill Akpabio, collapsed and was urgently flown to London for medical treatment have been firmly dismissed by his office as false and misleading.
Viral Claims of Akpabio's Health Crisis
On Monday, December 16, 2025, several online platforms circulated reports alleging a severe health incident involving Senator Akpabio. The claims stated that he had collapsed and was subsequently airlifted to a hospital in the United Kingdom aboard a private jet.
The reports further elaborated that this alleged condition had caused him to miss key official duties, including an interactive session on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) held on Wednesday. Some versions of the rumour even specified that the private jet belonged to billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote.
Official Rebuttal from the Senate President's Office
Reacting swiftly to the speculation, Kenny Okolugbo, the Consultant on Communications and Strategy to the Senate President, provided a clear and direct rebuttal. When contacted by the Leadership newspaper, Okolugbo described the allegations as nothing but "a lie" and "fake news."
He stressed categorically that Senator Akpabio did not collapse and has not been hospitalised in London. The Senate President's office urged the public to completely disregard the fabricated reports, labelling them as an attempt to spread misinformation.
Details of the Debunked Rumour
The now-debunked reports contained several specific but unverified claims. They alleged that this was the second time the Senate President was being rushed to London for treatment and that his condition was severe enough to require continued overseas medical care.
It was also falsely claimed that several senators had travelled to London to visit him and that medical experts had advised him to reduce his workload or even step down from the Senate to focus on his health. The office of the Senate President has dismissed all these narratives in their entirety.
This incident highlights the persistent challenge of fake news in the Nigerian political landscape, where unverified health rumours about high-profile figures frequently surface. The public is advised to rely on official channels and credible news sources for accurate information.
