Senate President Godswill Akpabio has debunked viral claims that the Nigerian Senate has approved the creation of 12 new states, labeling the reports as false and a product of social media misinformation.
The alleged proposal sparked widespread reactions across the country, with many believing the Senate had reached a major constitutional milestone.
However, during plenary on Monday, Senator Abdul Ningi, a member of the Senate Constitution Review Committee, firmly denied the reports, calling them “fake, toxic, and irresponsible.”
“I’m a member of the Constitution Review Committee. First, our report from the zonal perspective has not been submitted to the main Constitution Review Committee,” he explained.
“The social media report that the National Assembly has pencilled 12 states is fake, toxic, and irresponsible. The Senate has not sat on any committee report at the zonal level, and the main committee has yet to receive any such report.”
Addressing the issue further, Senate President Akpabio lamented the abuse of social media across Africa, warning that misinformation could destabilize society if left unchecked.
“I hope that the way Africans use social media will not break society; that is my only hope,” he said.
Akpabio also highlighted the growing trend of creating fake documents online, especially concerning political appointments.
“You see, even for appointments to be made, they will go and create fake letterhead paper and write that the person has rejected the appointment,” he added.
Both lawmakers urged the public to verify information before spreading it and emphasized that no formal discussions or approvals have taken place regarding the creation of new states.
