The Office of the Senate President has dismissed reports surrounding a recent visit by Mrs Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, wife of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, to the Senate Chamber, describing the claims as “misinformation”.

Reports had alleged that Mrs Akpabio gained “unholy access” to the chamber and visited the facility on a Saturday with marabouts and spiritualists, sparking questions over the purpose of the visit.

However, Dr. Jibril Lawal Tafida, Special Adviser to the President of the Senate on Diaspora and Non-governmental Organizations, said the visit was purely administrative.

In a statement on Saturday, Tafida said Mrs Akpabio visited the National Assembly Complex at the instance of the Senate President to personally inspect malfunctioning equipment and facilities within the chamber.

He said the inspection followed numerous complaints from senators and staff about the poor state of some facilities and the shoddy execution of contractual works.

Tafida also denied that Mrs Akpabio was accompanied by “marabouts” or individuals of questionable character.

According to him, those who accompanied her were “duly engaged professionals and technical specialists, including electrical engineers, ICT and audio-visual system technicians, and building maintenance experts whose expertise was required for the inspection”.

He stressed that the visit was conducted with the knowledge and authorisation of relevant officials and did not breach any security protocols.

On why the inspection took place on a Saturday, Tafida said such administrative oversight was best conducted when the chamber was not in session to avoid disrupting legislative activities.

He urged the public to disregard the reports, describing them as an attempt to manufacture controversy where none existed.

Tafida further insisted that Nigeria’s National Assembly “remains one of the most secure and well-managed democratic institutions in Africa”, expressing confidence in its protocols and personnel.