Kenny Okolugbo, consultant in Communications and Strategy to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has firmly denied social media reports suggesting he apologised to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing the claims as “malicious” and “factually impossible.”
The denial follows the circulation of a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), purportedly from his verified handle, @kennyokolugbo, in which he allegedly confessed to targeting Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan over corruption allegations involving Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
“That tweet was not from me, and we are investigating it,” Okolugbo said in a statement, insisting the post resulted from a cyber breach. “This claim is not only malicious; it is factually impossible and a clear attempt to tarnish my reputation.”
The controversial tweet, now deleted, appeared to contain an apology to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and claimed all actions taken against her were “carefully calculated to ridicule and destroy her image.” It ended with the phrase: “May Allah have mercy on me.”
The National Spokesman for the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Obiuwevbi Ominimini, confirmed that shortly after the post gained traction, Okolugbo announced his X account had been hacked and disassociated himself from the message’s contents.
Ominimini also noted that the language used in the post, particularly the religious phrase at the end, did not align with Okolugbo’s known Christian faith. “Kenny is a Knight of the Church. He would never end a post with ‘May Allah have mercy on me.’ It was designed to inject drama and mislead the public.”
Associates close to Okolugbo have also expressed disbelief, citing his long-standing position. According to them, Okolugbo has consistently rejected Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations against Senator Akpabio, describing them as false and politically motivated.
In a further effort to clear his name, Okolugbo reviewed the social media accounts of three high-profile figures who first shared the so-called apology: Tunde Ednut (@mazitundeednut), Rufai Oseni (@ruffydfire), and Adeola Fayehun (@adeolafayehun).
He noted striking similarities in their posts’ structure, language, and timing, alleging a coordinated disinformation campaign.
Notably, all three versions of the apology included claims not present in the original hacked post. These included references to secret meetings in London with Dr. Sandra Duru, manipulation of voice recordings, and even allegations of cloning Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s phone.
“These fabrications are not journalistic embellishments,” Okolugbo argued. “They were deliberately inserted to frame me and lend credibility to a false narrative.”
He also criticized broadcaster Rufai Oseni’s questioning, which repeatedly asked how Okolugbo recovered his account rather than verifying the authenticity of the original post.
“If the concern were genuine, the focus should have been on whether I authored the post, not how I got back into my account.”
Okolugbo further debunked the claim that he met Senator Akpabio and Dr. Duru in London to plan a smear campaign. He presented his international passport, proving that his last visit to London was in November 2024—three months before Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s public allegations against Senator Akpabio surfaced in February 2025.
He also noted that he had not even met Dr. Duru when the alleged meeting was said to have occurred.
“Would I include a detail in an apology that can be easily disproved by my travel history?” he asked. “That alone exposes the desperation behind this smear campaign.”
According to him, the credibility of the fabricated apology collapses under the weight of verifiable travel records and passport stamps. These are concrete, admissible evidence. They speak louder than any viral tweet.”
Okolugbo called on Nigerian journalists, social media users, and law enforcement agencies to investigate what he described as a case of criminal impersonation, cyber forgery, and coordinated misinformation.
“The individuals pushing this fake apology must be held accountable,” he said. “This is not just about clearing my name—it’s about safeguarding the sanctity of our digital space.”
He warned: “Those who misuse influence and digital platforms to spread lies will eventually be exposed—factually, legally, and morally.”
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