“I Am Fit as Fiddle” – Akpabio Dispels Ill-Health Rumors
“I am fit as fiddle” – Senate president Godswill Akpabio has dispelled rumors of ill-health. For days, rumors have been passing around on social media that Senate President Godswill Akpabio was fighting for his life in a London hospital. Some swore he was critically ill, while others claimed he had quietly disappeared from public view. But in the early hours of Monday, August 18, 2025, Akpabio walked off a flight at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, smiling, waving, and very much alive.
Akpabio Lands in Abuja, Dispels Illness Reports
Touching down around 4:00 a.m. at the presidential wing, the Senate President was received by a crowd of senators, aides, and loyal supporters who had gathered to welcome him home. Dressed casually in a blue suit and face cap, Akpabio appeared healthy and sound.
Speaking with journalists at the airport, he wasted no time addressing the speculation about his health. He said, “There’s nothing like such. I’m fit as a fiddle. I only stopped over in London for a short vacation.” The Senate President added a sharp warning about the dangers of believing everything online: “If you listen to social media, you will go to war.”
Close allies and colleagues have earlier dismissed the report even before the arrival of the senate president. Last week, Senator Gbenga Daniel, chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, publicly dismissed the reports after meeting Akpabio in London.
“Your excellency, the news out there is that you have been indisposed, but seeing you here now paints a very different picture. Congratulations, your excellency,” Daniel had told him.
His media aide, Jackson Udom, also issued earlier denials, describing the rumours as “pure fabrication.” Still, the speculations refused to die down, until Akpabio’s arrival in Abuja. Before his vacation, Akpabio had joined other presiding officers of parliaments across the world for the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, Switzerland, held between July 29 and 31.
What Akpabio Said About Global Democratic Engagements
At the summit, he said Nigeria’s delegation played an important role in advocating for deeper democratic governance and stronger synergy between the arms of government. According to him, “the outcome of such engagements will bring more derivatives of democratic governance and effective collaboration with the executive and judiciary.”
After the conference, the Senate President proceeded to London for a short break to relax and wind, which later became the subject of intense speculation back home.
Looking Ahead – NASS to Resume with Renewed Energy
Back in Abuja, Akpabio tried to steer the conversation away from the drama of the past week and towards the work ahead. He assured Nigerians that the National Assembly will resume plenary with renewed energy and focus. “Expect robust legislative engagements when we reconvene. We are ready to hit the ground running,” he promised.
The 62-year-old, who became president of the 10th Senate in June 2023, is no stranger to the weight of public scrutiny. A two-term governor of Akwa Ibom State and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Akpabio has remained a towering figure in Nigeria’s politics for nearly two decades.
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