The long-brewing rift within the Akpabio family has burst into public view after Pat Akpabio, a pastor and businesswoman married to Ibanga Akpabio—brother of Senate President Godswill Akpabio—released a video accusing the nation’s number three citizen of complicity in a string of unresolved killings in Akwa Ibom State during his tenure as governor.
In the viral Facebook video posted on October 11, Pat launched a scathing attack on the Senate President, declaring that “for all the people you people have killed when you were governor, and those you have killed now that you are in the Senate, it will never be well with you.”
Pat’s comments have reignited public debate around political violence in Akwa Ibom, a state long marred by allegations of targeted assassinations and intimidation during the height of Mr. Akpabio’s political dominance.
Pat’s husband, Ibanga Akpabio, was once one of the Senate President’s closest allies. He is widely believed to have brought Godswill Akpabio into Akwa Ibom’s political scene in 1999, paving the way for his appointment as a commissioner under then-Governor Victor Attah. That appointment became the foundation of Akpabio’s rise to power and eventual election as governor in 2007.
During Akpabio’s administration, several members of his family held influential positions in government and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Their tight-knit circle, known locally as the Ukana Ikot Ntuen Cabal after their hometown in Essien Udim Local Government Area, wielded enormous political and financial influence across the state.
Trouble started when Akpabio left power in 2015. Rumours were already rife that the political family had disintegrated but it became clear in 2023 when Ibanga openly backed Emmanuel Enoidem, Akpabio’s opponent in the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial election, while another relative, Emem Akpabio, supported Bassey Albert, the Young Progressives Party (YPP) candidate for governor.
In her video, Pat accused the Senate President of betrayal and ingratitude, vowing to challenge him in the 2027 elections.
“When you finish, go home. This is your quit notice. Nigerians don’t know who you are. When they do, they’ll know you are a very wicked man,” she said.
She also claimed that Akpabio accused her husband of murder and theft after his loss in the 2019 senatorial race to PDP’s Chris Ekpenyong.
“You said my husband killed your associate and ran away with your money. I stood by you in 2019 when people said terrible things about you. Did I collect one kobo from you? Today, you have the audacity to say you made me?”
Pat further accused the Senate President of neglecting his community, claiming that his hometown, Ukana Ikot Ntuen, has been without electricity for weeks despite his high office.
Watch the video below;