The Office of the President of the Senate has challenged former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to provide documentary evidence to support his allegation that Senate President Godswill Akpabio introduced a 50 per cent deduction from payments due to contractors of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Amaechi reportedly made the allegation at a political rally in Bauchi State on Saturday, November 14, claiming that Akpabio was responsible for the alleged deductions.
However, the Senate President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, dismissed the accusation as unsubstantiated, insisting that Amaechi must provide verifiable evidence rather than make allegations at political gatherings. 
In a statement issued on Sunday, Eyiboh said the former governor had not presented contract documents, payment records, identifiable transactions or other evidence to substantiate his claims.
He described the allegation as serious enough to warrant scrutiny but stressed that its credibility depended on the availability of supporting facts.
“An allegation delivered before an enthusiastic political audience does not, by that circumstance alone, acquire the status of an established fact,” he said.
Eyiboh challenged Amaechi to identify the contracts involved, the contractors allegedly affected, when the deductions were made and the payment arrangements through which they were carried out.
He also demanded evidence establishing Akpabio’s alleged personal involvement in the transactions.
According to him, anyone possessing credible evidence of unlawful deductions involving NDDC contractors should submit such materials to the appropriate investigative authorities.
The Senate President’s spokesman further argued that public accountability should not be reduced to political accusations, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
Turning the spotlight on Amaechi’s eight-year administration in Rivers State between 2007 and 2015, Eyiboh said the former governor’s own record should also be subjected to public scrutiny.
He specifically cited the Port Harcourt monorail project and the administration’s malaria-free Rivers State initiatives as areas deserving closer examination.
On the monorail project, Eyiboh raised questions about its reported cost, incomplete implementation and failure to deliver the anticipated public transportation services.
He said issues surrounding the project included the amount of public funds expended, the extent to which its original objectives were achieved and the institutional and contractual decisions that contributed to its difficulties.
Eyiboh maintained that accountability should apply to all public officials, regardless of their political affiliations or positions.
“Public accountability does not begin and end with one’s political opponents. It extends to every public official entrusted with resources, authority and responsibility,” he said.
He noted that the NDDC was established to address the developmental challenges of the Niger Delta, stressing that allegations concerning its finances, contracts and administration should be investigated through credible institutional processes.
According to him, the people of the region deserve functional infrastructure, transparent procurement processes, completed projects and measurable development outcomes rather than political confrontations.
The Senate President’s spokesman urged Amaechi to submit any documentary evidence in his possession to the appropriate authorities for objective investigation.
He added that public allegations should be judged by the quality of evidence supporting them, not the status of the person making them or the platform on which they are presented.
“Let the facts speak,” Eyiboh added.
