Akpabio Claims Tinubu's Online Critics Are Paid Operatives

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has claimed that individuals launching attacks against President Bola Tinubu and his allies on social media platforms are receiving payment to do so. Akpabio made the assertion on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to his office by the Arewa Revival Project, a youth organization with representatives from all 19 northern states.

The Arewa Revival Project delegation, led by coordinator Mustafa Ibrahim, presented Akpabio with an award recognising his contributions to nation-building. The visit provided the platform for Akpabio to address the assembled northern youths, urging them to intensify grassroots mobilisation efforts aimed at securing President Tinubu's re-election in 2027.

Akpabio's remarks appear designed to frame online criticism of the Tinubu administration as orchestrated rather than organic. In his address, he encouraged young people from the northern region to shift focus from engaging with what he characterised as paid critics on social media toward direct community-level support for the President's political future.

The Senate President's comments come as the Tinubu administration faces sustained criticism from various quarters over economic policies and governance decisions. Multiple northern youth organisations have begun mobilising in anticipation of the 2027 election cycle, with groups like the Arewa Revival Project positioning themselves as supporters of the current government's continued leadership.