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Leadership like fire: Akpabio’s path to greatness

Published

6 months ago

October 27, 2025

Whirlwindnews

By Sufuyan Ojeifo

History, in its long and patient arc, is a master storyteller. Its finest tales often begin with conflict rather than applause, with accusation rather than acclaim. Before the garlands and the gratitude, there is the crucible, the fire through which greatness is tested and purified.

The recent wave of false accusations against Nigeria’s Senate President, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, belongs to this ancient pattern.

Far from diminishing him, they place him squarely in the historical company of giants like Socrates, Mansa Musa, Patrice Lumumba, and Nelson Mandela, whose trials became the prelude to vindication.

In every civilisation, those who dared to challenge convention were first rewarded with suspicion. Socrates, the Athenian philosopher, was condemned in 399 BC on the charge of corrupting the youth and defying the gods.

Whereas, his true offence was the audacity to question the complacency of his city. He unsettled the powerful and embarrassed the comfortable. The state silenced him, but not his truth.

Today, the same Athens that sentenced him to death has his statue in its squares, while his false accusers are completely forgotten, condemned by history to nothing more than an ignoble footnote.

Socrates’ calm dignity before false judgement still echoes across millennia, a reminder that time is the ultimate judge of moral worth. Akpabio’s silence in the face of lies carries the same wisdom: that one does not wrestle with shadows when history itself is one’s witness.

Nigeria’s Senate President now finds himself walking a road well-travelled by men whose lives became lessons in perseverance. Like Socrates, Akpabio has been accused not because he has failed his people but because he has dared to lead differently.

Indeed, his reforms, his capacity to command loyalty, and his influence in both national and regional politics have unsettled old networks of privilege. Yet his focus remains unwavering, on legislation that strengthens governance, on national stability, and on the quiet labour of statecraft. In a country often distracted by noise, Akpabio embodies the rare discipline of purpose.

In another era, across the deserts of the Sahara, Mansa Musa of Mali experienced a similar misunderstanding. When he embarked on his legendary pilgrimage to Mecca, he displayed the wealth of his empire with generosity that startled the medieval world.

To some, it was extravagance. To history, it became evidence of unmatched vision. His empire flourished through learning, commerce, and faith. His name still shines centuries later, unblemished by the gossip of his age. Likewise, those who misread Akpabio’s grand development strides mistake ambition for arrogance. They fail to see that behind the public works and the national projects lies the spirit of reconstruction, a man rebuilding systems, not just seeking applause.

Patrice Lumumba’s ordeal in the 20th century brought the tragedy of false accusation to its most brutal form. The first Prime Minister of an independent Congo was accused of sowing division and branded an extremist. As the world now knows, his crime was clarity, the insistence that Africa’s freedom must not be dictated by foreign powers. His enemies silenced his voice but could not extinguish his vision.

Today, Lumumba’s name inspires every generation that seeks to reclaim African dignity. The same pattern of vilification, born of fear and envy, trails every reformer. When Senator Akpabio’s detractors peddle falsehoods, they reveal more about their own insecurity than about his record. It is the familiar resistance of the old against the birth of the new.

South Africa’s long night under apartheid produced another target of defamation: Nelson Mandela. For decades, he was called a terrorist and enemy of the state. Yet, in his quiet cell, he found the strength to forgive those who condemned him. When he emerged, he transformed his nation without bitterness. His victory was not only political; it was also moral, a triumph of the human spirit over injustice. Mandela’s story teaches that the mightiest response to falsehood is patience.

Without claiming a direct similarity of their situations, Senator Akpabio’s restraint, his refusal to engage in personal recrimination, reflects Mandela’s lived philosophy; that true leaders answer falsehood with performance, not theatrics.

It is tempting to view each accusation against Akpabio in isolation as a passing political quarrel. Yet to do so would be to miss the deeper rhythm of history. Great leaders are not defined by what is said about them in the heat of their time, but by what is remembered of them when the noise has faded.

The allegations that swirl around Akpabio today are not evidence of guilt but signs of significance. Insignificant men are not worth defaming. As the musician 2Baba once sang, “If nobody talks about you, then you are nobody.” The very ferocity of the attacks against Senator Akpabio is proof of his stature and the disruptive power of his vision.

Reflecting on this lineage of misunderstood greatness, one sees that accusation is often the final refuge of the threatened. Akpabio’s career, from transforming Akwa Ibom State into a model of modern governance to repositioning the Senate as a stabilising institution, represents a continuity of purpose that even his critics cannot deny.

Akpabio has brought maturity to national politics, forged collaboration across divides, and demonstrated that leadership can be firm without being fractious. His calm under pressure and his devotion to national unity have become the quiet pillars of Nigeria’s democratic consolidation.

Clearly, these attacks are not the measure of the man but the echo of his impact. The history of leadership is littered with names once maligned and later sanctified. Socrates’ trial became the cornerstone of philosophy. Mansa Musa’s misunderstood generosity defined a golden age. Lumumba’s persecution gave Africa a martyr. Mandela’s imprisonment forged a moral compass for humanity. Senator Godswill Akpabio stands among them, a contemporary figure walking through the same furnace of falsehood towards the same horizon of vindication.

To see Akpabio merely as a politician under attack is to miss the larger story unfolding. His journey is a lesson in patience, endurance, and the power of moral steadiness in the face of hysteria. As Nigeria searches for stability and renewal, Akpabio’s conduct offers something rarer than rhetoric: a model of composed leadership that refuses to be baited into bitterness, let alone the flitting satisfaction of viral outrage. He is writing, through action rather than argument, a chapter that future historians will read with admiration.

The crucible of false accusation, then, is his initiation into greatness. Every great leader must pass through the fog of misunderstandings before emerging into the sunlight of vindication. For Senator Akpabio, that sunlight is inevitable. When the passions of the present have cooled, and the record of reform stands tall against the smallness of slander, Nigeria will see him for what he truly is, a nation builder tested by fire, a visionary misunderstood in his own time but destined for vindication in the fullness of history.

Posterity, which has already cleared the names of Socrates, Mansa Musa, Lumumba, and Mandela, will do the same for the Uncommon Transformer. For in the grand tribunal of time, truth always wins its appeal.

● Sufuyan Ojeifo is the publisher and editor-in-chief of THE CONCLAVE online newspaper.

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Caveat: Beware of fraudsters! *NNPC not selling off assets!

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2026

Whirlwindnews

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has denied reports that it is selling scrap materials, equipment, or components from its refineries to individuals and private companies.

A Friday statement titled ‘Fraudulent Claims on Sale of Refinery Scrap and Equipment’ issued by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, in Abuja, described the circulating reports as misleading and false.

“The Company wishes to categorically state that this information is untrue. NNPC Limited has not issued any request for bids, tenders, expressions of interest, or approvals for the sale of scrap materials, refinery components, or any items from the warehouses or inventories of any of its refineries”.

It also distanced itself from persons reportedly presenting themselves as the company’s representatives or agents, claiming to facilitate the sale of so-called “scrap metals” or refinery equipment.

“These individuals are not authorised by NNPC Limited and are attempting to mislead members of the public.”

The Company therefore advised the public, corporate organisations, and industry stakeholders to disregard any such claims or solicitations and to exercise caution in dealing with anyone making such representations.

“For the avoidance of doubt, NNPC Limited is not conducting, nor has it authorised, any sale of scrap metals, equipment, or refinery components from any of its facilities”, the statement added, saying that any legitimate disposal of assets by NNPC Limited will only be conducted through established and transparent processes, publicly communicated through the Company’s official channels and in accordance with applicable regulations.

“Members of the public who encounter individuals or entities making such claims are encouraged to report the matter to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.

“NNPC Limited remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the responsible management of national energy assets”, the statement added.

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Presidency to ADC: You can’t bully yourself to power! No vacancy in the Villa

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2026

Whirlwindnews

“Disorder cannot be rebranded as authenticity simply because it occurs in public. The allegations regarding judicial interference are equally speculative and irresponsible,” were the words with which the Presidency, pushed back on Saturday to the allegation suppression of democracy in Nigeria by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Sunday Dare, spokesman to President Bola in a quick riposte after the ADC’s National Legislators Serving and Former Forum criticised President Bola Tinubu over remarks describing the convention as “noise and a street convention,” dismissed the coalition party as suffering from internal disarray.

Ukeje, on the heels of the ADC national convention recently at the Rainbow Event Centre in Abuja, despite a last-minute alleged attempt to block the gathering had argued that Nigeria is at a critical democratic juncture and accused the administration of shrinking political space.

The group also referenced Tinubu’s past as an opposition leader who once advocated political pluralism and judicial independence, saying his current leadership posture appears inconsistent with those democratic values.

Dare, who described the ADC as a party struggling to maintain “coherence and balance” in a statement titled: ‘WHAT’S THAT NOISE! Response to Hon. Nnenna Elendu Ukeje and the ADC Forum of National Legislators- Nigeria’s latest bunch of conspiracy theorists,’ wrote: “Even before the official commencement of the election season and before the Polls open, the “opposition”, a hurriedly stitched together contraption in search of a launch pad are screaming blue murder.

“The script is familiar: attack and blackmail the President, discredit and second guess the electoral process and hold Press briefings to flaunt unsubstantiated allegations and lies against the administration.

“All of these so that the international community will “help” them. In Honorable Nnenna, the ADC legislators found someone fit for the role. As former chair, foreign affairs committee, 7th and 8th House of Representatives she was their best voice.

“Sadly, ADC will need more than the sophistry and phonetics in her delivery. Let’s begin to tear apart her claims and that of her ADC Forum. The so-called ADC National Legislators Coalition delivered an outing remarkably full of theatrics but expectedly short on substance, restraint, and constitutional fidelity.

“What Nigerians just witnessed from the ADC motley crowed is not a principled defense of democracy, but a calculated attempt to weaponize rhetoric, manufacture outrage, and distract from internal disarray within a political party struggling to maintain coherence and balance. Ironically, the ADC press conference began on a note of truth.

“In their own words, they painstakingly chronicled the democratic credentials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—his historic role in strengthening opposition politics, expanding democratic space, defending pluralism, and standing firm even under military and authoritarian pressures.

“They reminded Nigerians that he mobilized resistance, nurtured political contestation, and remained a central pillar in sustaining democratic governance.

“On that point, they were correct and that is because they could not change that solid democratic foundation and narrative of President Bola Tinubu. Let’s give them some acknowledgement for stating it plainly.

“But having established those facts, they took a curious turn—attempting, without evidence, to portray the very same individual as a threat to the democratic values he has consistently upheld.

“That contradiction is not just weak—it is intellectually untenable. A leader’s record is not a switch that flips overnight. The same discipline, convictions, and democratic instincts that defined President Tinubu’s political journey have not suddenly evaporated.

“You cannot spend the first half of a press conference affirming a man’s lifelong commitment to democracy, and the second half alleging—without proof—that he has abandoned it. It simply does not hold.

“On the specific issue that triggered this reaction: the President did not mention the ADC—by name or by implication. His remarks were general, as is consistent with his style as a national leader addressing a broad audience.”

Dare noted that the decision by the ADC to assume those remarks were directed at them is, at best, an exercise in self-indictment. If the description of “noise” resonates, perhaps the issue is not with the statement—but with the conduct it reflects.

“This is not a matter of suppression; it is a matter of standards. Democracy thrives on competition, yes—but it also demands organization, coherence, and credibility. Disorder cannot be rebranded as authenticity simply because it occurs in public. The allegations regarding judicial interference are equally speculative and irresponsible.

“Nigeria’s judiciary remains constitutionally independent, and no amount of conjecture can substitute for evidence. Attempting to cast doubt on the integrity of the courts based on political disagreements is a dangerous path—one that weakens institutions rather than protects them.”

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Eze fires Arsenal back to top of Premier League table

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2026

Whirlwindnews

Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League as Eberechi Eze’s rocket sealed a tense but vital 1-0 win against Newcastle on Saturday.

For the first time since October, Arsenal had started a league game out of pole position after Manchester City’s 1-0 win at Burnley on Wednesday sent them to the summit.

But Eze lifted the Gunners back into first place with his sublime strike in the first half at the Emirates Stadium.

Eze’s 10th goal this season opened up a three-point lead over second-placed City, who were booking their place in the FA Cup final with a 2-1 win against Southampton, while Arsenal were in league action.

It was an essential victory for Arsenal, whose 2-1 defeat at City last weekend was a huge blow to their title hopes.

After losing just three of their first 49 matches in all competitions this season, Arsenal had been beaten in four of the previous six, suffering successive league defeats for the first time since 2023.

Having blown substantial leads in the title race in 2023 and 2024, allowing City to pip them in the trophy, the north Londoners’ recent slump has left them in danger of squandering another golden opportunity to win their first English crown since 2004.

City have a game in hand on Arsenal, keeping the destiny of the title in their hands.

However, they do not play their next league game until May 4 when they visit Everton, giving Arsenal the chance to move six points clear when they host Fulham next weekend.

Before that, Arsenal visit Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

City’s win against Burnley had ended Arsenal’s 209-day run as leaders due to their superior goals scored tally.

While Arsenal are back on top with a one-goal better goal difference than City, their failure to run up the score on toothless Newcastle could come back to haunt them.

Newcastle have been in even worse form than Arsenal, and this was their ninth defeat in 12 league games, adding to the pressure on under-fire boss Eddie Howe.

Eze drilled narrowly wide from the edge of the area, a warning that Newcastle failed to heed as the England midfielder put Arsenal ahead in the ninth minute.

Once again, Arsenal’s set-piece mastery paid dividends, but Newcastle were guilty of woeful defending.

Martin Odegaard found Kai Havertz inside the area, and he teed up Eze — left unmarked in virtually the same position as his shot moments earlier — to smash a superb curler into the top corner from 18 yards.

Arsenal’s 17th goal from a corner this season set a new Premier League record for a single campaign.

After playing just six short corners in the league all season prior to facing Newcastle, Arteta’s men deployed three in the first half alone to exploit a vulnerability in the visitors’ defence.

Arsenal were far from flawless themselves, and keeper David Raya was almost caught out by Sandro Tonali’s dipping drive from distance.

Havertz limped off in the 34th minute to extend his injury-plagued season.

And there was more bad news for Arteta on the injury front when Eze was forced off early in the second half.

Arsenal lost their rhythm after the injuries, and Yoane Wissa should have made them pay when he volleyed over from eight yards.

Arsenal’s anxiety was palpable in the stands and on the pitch as Dan Burn’s header was clutched by Raya in the closing stages.

Shaking his head on the touchline, Arteta breathed a sigh of relief as a gripping title race took another twist.

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