Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed widespread reports that the Senate has approved the creation of 12 new states, calling the story false and misleading.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Akpabio expressed concern over how social media is being used to spread fake news in Africa. He warned that such misuse could damage society if not checked.
“I hope the way Africans use social media will not break society,” Akpabio said. “Even for appointments, some people now create fake letterheads to spread lies that someone rejected a job offer.”
The rumour about new states began circulating online earlier this week, sparking mixed reactions from Nigerians. According to the false claims, the Senate had supposedly reached a major decision to approve the creation of 12 new states.
But Senator Abdul Ningi, a member of the Constitution Review Committee, also denied the report during Monday’s plenary.
“The story is fake, toxic, and irresponsible,” Ningi said. “The committee has not even submitted any reports from the zonal level, so there’s no way the Senate could have approved such a thing.”
He clarified that the main Constitution Review Committee has not received any formal report regarding state creation, and no discussions on the issue have taken place in the Senate.
The Senate’s clarification comes at a time when Nigerians are increasingly questioning government decisions and demanding transparency. Both Akpabio and Ningi urged citizens to verify news before spreading it, especially through social media.
