AKPABIO, Senator Godswill Obot (CON)

Born December 9, 1962
in

Ukana, Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim, Akwa Ibom State

Senator

AKPABIO

Godswill

Obot
Senator Akpabio started his career as a Teacher and later went on to become an Associate Partner with Paul Usoro and Co., a law firm in Nigeria. He also worked with EMIS Telecoms Limited, a wireless telecommunications company in Lagos, Nigeria. In 2002, he rose to the position of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company. In this position, he helped in shaping the future of the burgeoning telecoms industry. During his tenure as Director at EMIS, Senator Akpaibo served as the National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Telecommunication Companies in Nigeria, (ATCOM). In 2002, Senator Akpabio was appointed Honourable Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources by the then Governor Obong Victor Attah in Akwa Ibom State. Between 2002 and 2006, he had served as a Commissioner in three key ministries: Petroleum and Natural Resources, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, as well as Lands and Housing. In 2006, he aspired for the governorship of Akwa Ibom State in a hotly contested primary election and defeated 57 other aspirants to emerge the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). His campaign (with the slogan, “let God’s will be done”) received mass support and In 2007, he was elected Governor of Akwa Ibom State. He was re-elected for a second term in office as Governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2011. Senator Akpabio was elected Chairman of the newly formed PDP Governor’s Forum in 2013. In 2015, he contested and won the Senate seat of the Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District to represent the district in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Running under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), he polled 422,009 of the 439,449 defeating Chief Inibehe Okorie of the All Progressive Party Congress (APC). He was nominated for the position of the Senate Minority Leader by the South-South caucus of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and was announced as Senate Minority Leader by the President of the Senate on July 28, 2015. In August 2018, Senator Akpabio resigned as the Senate Minority Leader and defected to the All Progressives Congress(APC). In July 2019, he was nominated by the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, and screened by the Nigerian Senate for a ministerial appointment. On August 21, 2019, he was sworn in as Minister for Niger Delta Affairs. In June 2022, Akpabio’s ambition went even higher when he resigned his appointment as the minister for Niger Delta Affairs to contest in the presidential primaries of the ruling All Progressives Congress but stepped down on the night of the primaries for the president, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. On June 13, 2023, he emerged as the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly, having garnered 63 votes leaving his rival, Abdulazeez Yari with 46 votes.
Gender: Male
Marital Status
  • Married
Name of Spouse Ekaette Unoma Akpabio
State of Origin: Akwa Ibom State
Father's Name Chief Obot Akpabio
Father's Status Deceased
Mother's Name Madam Lucy Obot Akpabio (née Inyangetor) .
Mother's Status N/A
Number of Male Children 1
Number of Female Children 4
Profession Politician , Lawyer
Working Experience

Senate President of the 10th National Assembly

Previous Appointments:

• Associate Partner, Usoro and Co.
• National Publicity Secretary, Association OF Telecommunication Companies in Nigeria (ATCOM);
• Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, EMIS Telecoms Limited, 2002;
• Commissioner, Petroleum and Natural Resources, 2002-2003;
• Commissioner, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, 2004- 2005;
• Commissioner, Lands and Housing, 2005-2006;
• Governor, Akwa Ibom State, May 29, 2007 – May 29, 2015;
• Senate Minority Leader, July 28, 2015 – August 07, 2018.
• Minister for Niger Delta Affairs. 2019 -2022

• Doctorate of Management Science, Honoris Causa, Nigeria Defence Academy (2011).
• Doctorate of Law, Honoris Causa, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2010).
• Doctorate of Law, Honoris Causa, University of Calabar, Calabar (2009)
• Doctorate of Law, Honoris Causa, University of Uyo, Uyo (2009).
• Doctorate of Public Administration (Honoris Causa), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (2009).
• Doctorate of Management Science (Honoris Causa) Federal University of Technology, Owerri (2011).
• Doctorate of Public Administration, Honoris Causa Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Enugu (2013).
• Doctorate of Human Resource Management (Honoris Causa) Wesley University of Science and Technology, Ondo.
• Honorary Fellow of Nigeria Society of Engineers (2010) (Only fourteen non-engineers have so far been so honoured in Nigeria).
• Fellow, Kazaure Polytechnic, Kazaure (2008).
• Fellow of the Yaba College of Technology, Yaba (2011).
• Fellow of the College of Education, Bichi, and a host of others.
• Most Education Friendly Governor in Nigeria (2008) by the National Parent-Teacher Association.
• Best Booster Governor Award for Promoting Science, Technology and Mathematics by the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria.
• Goodwill Ambassador of the Nigerian Medical Association.

Methodist Primary School, Ukana, Akwa Ibom; Federal Government College, Port Harcourt, Rivers state; University of Calabar, Cross River State
Tertiary
Yes

– People’s Democratic Party (PDP),
-All Progressive Congress (APC), 2018 till date

– Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON);
– “Most Education Friendly Governor in Nigeria” by the National Parent-Teacher Association, 2008;
– “Most Outstanding Governor in Nigeria” (South South) by National Daily Newspaper, 2008;
– Fellow, Kazaure Polytechnic, Kazaure, Jigawa State, 2008;
– “Man of the Year” by The Daily Independent , 2009;
– “Man of the Year” by National Daily Newspaper, 2009;
– “Governor of the Year”, (South-South) by City People Magazine;
– “Best Governor Infrastructure” by Encomium Magazine, 2009;
– “Excellency Award for Best Governor” (South-South), by Global Excellence Magazine, 2009;
– “Best Governor (South South)” by Encomium Magazine;
– “Best Governor in Africa” by Africa Development Magazine;
– “Best Governor in Nigeria and Outstanding Human Brand” by Billboard World, 2010;
– “Man of the Year” by National Daily Newspaper, 2010;
– Honorary Fellow, Nigeria Society of Engineers, 2010;
– “Governor of the Year” by Nigerian Tribune, 2010;
– Award of Excellence for Outstanding Performance by Nigeria Union of Journalists, 2010;
– “Man of the Year” by Sun Newspaper, 2011;
– Goodwill Ambassador of the Nigerian Medical Association;
– “Most Prolific Governor” by the National Councillors’ Forum;
– Best Booster Governor Award for Promoting Science, Technology and Mathematics by the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria;
– Fellow, College of Education, Bichi, Kano State;
– Fellow, Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, 2011;
– “Governor of the Year” by Leadership Newspaper, 2012;
– “Best Governor Infrastructure and Empowerment Award” by Central Bank of Nigeria, 2012.

– The Congressional Certificate of Recognition of the United States Congress, 2011;
– Africa Lifetime Achievement Prize awarded by Millennium Excellence Foundation in Kenya;
– The Gold Humanitarian Services Award of the Republic of Niger by Niger’s Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Alhaji Moussa Ibrahim, 2008;
– Exam Ethic Marshall by Exam Ethic International, Ghana, 2009;
– Best Governor, Infrastructure Development by BEN Television London, United Kingdom, 2009;
– Honorary citizen of the city of Georgia, New Jersey, United States.

PUBLICATION
Books
– Words that Build a Nation: Famous Words of Governor Akpabio.

– Doctorate of Law, Honoris Causa, University of Calabar, Cross River State, 2009;
– Doctorate of Law, Honoris Causa, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, 2009;
– Doctorate of Public Administration (Honoris Causa), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, 2009;
– Doctorate of Law, Honoris Causa, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu, 2010;
– Doctorate of Management Science (Honoris Causa) Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State 2011;
– Doctorate of Management Science, Honoris Causa, Nigeria Defence Academy, 2011;
– Doctorate of Public Administration, Honoris Causa Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Enugu State, 2013;
– Doctorate of Human Resource Management (Honoris Causa) Wesley University of Science and Technology, Ondo State;

On August 8, 2018, in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, an All Progressive Congress (APC) Rally was held on behalf of Senator Akpabio as he defected from People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

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