Renowned social commentator and activist, Mahdi Shehu, has taken a direct swipe at Senate President Godswill Akpabio, challenging his moral authority and leadership credibility in the wake of a brewing budget scandal.
Taking to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Shehu lambasted Akpabio for what he termed a glaring display of hypocrisy. “Akpabio, if you are unable to resolve the Natasha Akpoti quagmire, how can you resolve the N5 billion budget padding and premeditated theft at the Hajj Commission hidden within the 2025 appropriation?” Shehu wrote, igniting fresh controversy within Nigeria’s political space.
His comments come just days after Akpabio took a jab at Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, stating: “If he cannot resolve the internal crisis in his own party, is it the Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria that he will solve?”
But Shehu wasn’t having it. In a bold counterpunch, he reminded Akpabio of unresolved issues under his watch, implying that the Senate President was in no position to criticize others while his own house was in disarray.
Akpabio, in an earlier statement, had urged Nigerians to judge leaders based on their track records. “I would like us to remember what we achieved when we were given the opportunity,” he said. However, critics argue that such a claim rings hollow amid mounting allegations of fiscal misconduct involving the controversial N5 billion appropriation linked to the National Hajj Commission.
The brewing face-off between Mahdi Shehu and Akpabio not only underscores the deepening trust deficit in Nigeria’s political leadership but also adds a dramatic twist to the ongoing public discourse on corruption, governance, and accountability.
As political tensions rise and Nigerians grow more restless over the misuse of public funds, questions now swirl around whether Akpabio can truly claim the moral high ground—or whether Mahdi Shehu has struck a nerve that could unravel even deeper scandals.
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