Akpabio challenges Amaechi to prove 50% deductions from NDDC contractors

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has challenged former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to provide documentary evidence to support his allegation that 50 per cent was deducted from payments to contractors handling projects for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Akpabio made the demand in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh.

The Senate President described the allegation as weighty, noting that Amaechi had yet to present contract documents, payment records or details of specific transactions to substantiate the claim.

Amaechi, a former Minister of Transportation and vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had accused Akpabio of introducing the alleged deductions while speaking at the party’s campaign rally at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi State on Saturday.

The former governor challenged Akpabio to account for his alleged role in the practice, saying, “Akpabio, who was in Port Harcourt the other day abusing me and talking nonsense, ask him who introduced 50 per cent from contractors in NDDC. It was Akpabio.”

His allegation followed what he described as recent comments made against him by the Senate President during a visit to Port Harcourt.

Akpabio demands transaction details

In his response, Akpabio challenged Amaechi to identify the contractors allegedly affected by the deductions, the contracts involved, when the payments were made and the arrangements through which the alleged deductions occurred.

He also demanded evidence establishing his personal involvement in the alleged practice.

“An allegation delivered before an enthusiastic political audience does not, by that circumstance alone, acquire the status of an established fact,” Akpabio said.

The Senate President urged the former governor to submit any credible evidence in his possession to the appropriate investigative authorities instead of using the allegation for political confrontation.

“If Amaechi possesses credible evidence of unlawful deductions involving NDDC contractors, the appropriate course is to identify the relevant transactions, disclose the supporting records and submit the material to competent investigative authorities and not the act of rabble-rousing,” he said.

Akpabio questions Amaechi’s record in Rivers

The Senate President also turned attention to Amaechi’s eight-year administration as governor of Rivers State, between 2007 and 2015, saying his record in office was equally open to public scrutiny.

He specifically referenced the Port Harcourt monorail project, which attracted controversy over its reported cost, incomplete implementation and failure to deliver the expected public transportation service.

Akpabio also cited the Malaria-free Rivers State initiative, arguing that public officials should be prepared to account for public expenditure, project delivery and value for money.

He said questions surrounding the projects should include how much was spent, the extent to which their original objectives were achieved and the institutional and contractual decisions that influenced their outcomes.

“Public accountability does not begin and end with one’s political opponents. It extends to every public official entrusted with resources, authority and responsibility,” he stated.

2027 elections should not encourage unsubstantiated claims

Akpabio further warned against using the approaching 2027 general elections as an excuse to make allegations without supporting evidence.

He maintained that issues concerning the finances and administration of the NDDC deserved credible investigation, given the commission’s responsibility for addressing development challenges in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.

The Senate President said the interests of residents in the region should remain central to discussions about the commission, stressing the importance of transparent procurement, completed projects and measurable development outcomes.

He added that although Amaechi was entitled to raise concerns about public administration, he had a responsibility to distinguish between allegations and claims supported by evidence.

“The credibility of a public allegation must rest not on the volume of its delivery, the status of its author or the occasion on which it is made, but on the quality of the evidence supporting it. Let the facts speak,” he added.