Senate President Godswill Akpabio shed light on the circumstances surrounding the aftermath of his birthday colloquium on Thursday, addressing concerns about his well-being after reports surfaced that he had slumped during the event.
The second leg of Akpabio’s 61st birthday anniversary featured a colloquium in Abuja, attended by President Bola Tinubu, occurring five days after the first celebration at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, the capital of Akwa-Ibom State.
Following the Abuja event, reports circulated that Akpabio had experienced a health incident, allegedly slumping while seated at the hotel where the colloquium took place.
In a statement to journalists on Friday from his office, Akpabio clarified that the incident was stress-induced, compounded by a bout of malaria.
He shared, “What eventually happened after the event was a show of humanity. I went home and I called my doctors, and I was assured that I have malaria, mingled with stress, which could also be described in another way as exhaustion.”
Akpabio advised the public to stay hydrated, emphasizing the importance of regular water consumption to prevent exhaustion.
Undeterred by the incident, Akpabio assured the public that the National Assembly remains operational and committed to its responsibilities.
He stated, “This is to say that the work goes on. I want to assure Nigerians that the National Assembly is intact and we are still going on with our duty and our appropriation. We will resume on December 20. But before then, the various committees must have finished their work to enable us to meet the target of passing the budget before the end of the year for the president to append his signature.”