A calm Senate session was jolted on Wednesday as news filtered in about an alleged plot to impeach its President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, and other principal officers.
The report, which the Senate later termed as “fake news”, was on some social media platforms, indicating that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had taken over the National Assembly premises to prevent a plan to impeach the officers from taking place.
As the news circulated, it was brought to the attention of Akpabio, who incidentally was presiding over proceedings on the floor on Wednesday.
Akpabio suddenly announced, “Distinguished colleagues, while we are seated here, there is fake news going on in the social media that the DSS have surrounded the premises because there is a plan to impeach principal officers.”
Akpabio, who looked surprised as he spoke, laughed, saying, “It is fake; I hear that they use AI (Artificial Intelligence) to do some of these things just to drive traffic.
“I hear they pay them.”
As senators wondered about how the news emanated, there was confusion over which committee should investigate the issue.
“Which committee do we refer these fake news now?” Akpabio asked, still laughing.
Eventually, senators referred it to the Committee on Special Duties for investigation and to report back within the shortest possible time.
Checks by the Nigerian Tribune within the National Assembly premises did not show any unusual deployment of DSS operatives.
Inside the Senate chambers, the atmosphere remained calm, devoid of tension or any expression of anger by senators.
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