The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, returned to Nigeria in the early hours of Monday following what his media office described as a short vacation in London.
He arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 4 a.m., where he was welcomed at the presidential wing by senators, aides, and supporters.
His return comes amid social media rumours alleging that he was critically ill and hospitalised in London.
Speaking to journalists at the airport, Akpabio dismissed the speculation, describing it as “the imagination of the purveyors.”
“There’s nothing like such. I’m fit as a fiddle. I only stopped over in London for a short vacation,” he said.
Before his trip to the UK, the Senate President had attended the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, Switzerland, from July 29 to 31. He noted that the Nigerian delegation at the conference played a key role in pushing for stronger democratic governance and improved synergy between the arms of government.
Akpabio assured Nigerians of “robust legislative engagements” once the Senate resumes from recess.
The 62-year-old, elected President of the 10th Senate in June 2023, previously served as Governor of Akwa Ibom State and as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
Earlier on August 11, Gbenga Daniel, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, had also refuted the claims of Akpabio’s hospitalisation 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, the Ogun East senator, said during a meeting with Akpabio in London.
Here are some photos from the Senate President’s return.