Prove NDDC “50 Per Cent” Claim, Akpabio’s Office Dares Amaechi

The Office of the President of the Senate has asked former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to provide evidence for his claim that Senate President Godswill Akpabio introduced a 50 per cent deduction from payments to Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) contractors.

Amaechi made the allegation on Saturday at the African Democratic Congress (ADC) rally at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi State. He did not provide further details or evidence to support it.
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In a statement on Sunday, signed by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, the Senate President’s office said the allegation was serious and specific enough to require proof. It said a claim made before a political audience does not become fact because of the setting.

The office asked which contracts were involved, which contractors were affected, when the deductions were made and through what payment arrangements. It also asked what evidence links Akpabio personally to them.

It said that if Amaechi has credible evidence, he should submit it to the appropriate authorities so the matter can be examined in accordance with the law.

The statement also questioned Amaechi’s record as governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015. It acknowledged that his administration started major projects in infrastructure, education, health and transport, but said the record deserves scrutiny.

It cited the Port Harcourt monorail, which it said drew sustained controversy over its reported cost, incomplete implementation and failure to deliver the expected service. It also named the “Malaria-free Rivers State” initiatives. It asked how much was spent and what was achieved.

The office added that the NDDC, set up to address development challenges in the Niger Delta, should not be turned into an instrument of political confrontation. It said allegations about the Commission should be investigated through credible processes.

Amaechi is the ADC’s vice-presidential candidate. He also said at the rally that the party would win all 13 states in the North-East and North-West in the 2027 presidential election.