Akpabio Allegedly Slumps After Birthday Colloquium

The Senate President, GodsWill Akpabio, collapsed on Thursday after his 61st birthday Colloquium in Abuja.

Akpabio had, after the event, slumped while seated on a chair at the Transcorp Hilton hotel where the event was held earlier.

The event was the second part of his grand 61st birthday celebration.

The Senate President had on Saturday, 9th December, started his birthday anniversary at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Akwa-Ibom with a mammoth crowd in attendance.

In the viral video showing the over 30,000-capacity stadium filled to the brim, Akpabio was seen running, showing off his physical well-being while he waved at the people who sang his praises.

Earlier on Thursday at the colloquium, Akpabio was agile and spoke coherently during the colloquium.

He was also seen giggling and chatting with President Bola Tinubu who graced the occasion.

However, sources at the event said Akpabio slumped while seated.

A source said, “The Senate President must have been tired. He was seated after the colloquium and the next thing was that he had slumped.

“It was when people saw that he had slumped that he was rushed for medical attention.”

Another source also buttressed it, saying, “After the Senate President escorted the President alongside some other senators, he came back and sat down when he slumped. He was resuscitated and then rushed to a private hospital not too far from Transcorp. He is still in the hospital.”

But when our correspondent reached out to the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, he denied the incident.

He said, “Nothing of such happened. Everybody saw him today, he was hale and hearty. I sat behind them today and was even part of the team that saw the President off.

“The Senate President didn’t collapse. How can people make that kind of claim without video clips? Is it possible to witness such a thing and not make a video?”

Similarly, one of the Senate President’s media aides, Jackson Udom, said nothing of such happened, and at no time was his principal wheeled out of Transcorp.

He said, “The report is not true. The Senate President didn’t collapse neither was he wheeled out. Let the people sharing the story provide a picture of such happenings.”

Punch