Refrain from demonizing Iniabasi Godswill Akpabio

Emmanuel Nicholas

Many social media users in Akwa Ibom State and across Nigeria have expressed harsh and negative sentiments regarding the appointment of Ms. Iniabasi Godswill Akpabio as Director of the City Boys Movement.

Much of this commentary is rooted not in reasoned critique but in resentment and envy. Some contend that because her father holds the office of Senate President, his adult daughter, well over twenty years of age, should be precluded from pursuing her ambitions.

This assertion is a flawed and bitter allegation born of prejudice rather than fact.

To insist, merely because a father has prospered, that his children must forever remain in his shadow, deprived of the opportunity to fashion their own visions and to become the persons they aspire to be, is a crude and retrograde expression of primitivism; they possess the constitutional rights to vote and to stand for office, and no one may lawfully prevent them from exercising those rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Leadership is hereditary in certain families, not because of an immutable entitlement but because of a sustained tradition of public service, mentorship, and cultivated civic engagement.

The Akpabio family exemplifies such continuity: from Okuku Ibanga Akpabio, who served as Minister of Education and held other public offices, through successive generations that have occupied legislative and executive roles, the predisposition toward leadership has been evident.

From the generation that produced Senator (Justice ) Nsima Peters Akpabio, who was a judge in the High Court and later a senator representing the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, to Senator Godswill Akpabio, who was governor from 2007 to 2015 and is now Senate President, the current leadership that courses through their bloodline is strong.

The new generation has Hon Bar Ukpong Akpabio, who is the member representing Essien Udim State Constituency, after being Commissioner in the State Exco

Political vocations often emerge from environments where governance, public discourse, and service are integral to daily life; the offspring of such households are frequently inspired and prepared to follow similar callings.

This phenomenon is not unique to Nigeria. Prominent political families in other democracies, such as the Bushes and the Kennedys in the United States, demonstrate how public service can become a multigenerational pursuit.

Consider the Bush family in the United States. The Bushes are an American political family that has exerted significant influence since the mid-20th century. Prescott Bush served as a Republican U.S. Senator from Connecticut in the 1950s and early 1960s. His son, George H. W. Bush, served as Vice President (1981–1989) and as the 41st President of the United States (1989–1993). George H. W. Bush’s sons include George W. Bush, who was Governor of Texas (1995–2000) and subsequently served two terms as the 43rd President (2001–2009), and Jeb Bush, who was Governor of Florida (1999–2007). The family’s multigenerational participation in elective office illustrates its sustained prominence in American politics.

Now consider the Kennedy family. Patrick Joseph “P. J.” Kennedy was the first member of the family to hold public office, serving in the Massachusetts state legislature in the late nineteenth century. Several of his descendants played major roles in national affairs: John F. Kennedy served as a U.S. Representative (beginning in 1947), a U.S. Senator, and as the 35th President (1961–1963); Robert F. Kennedy served as U.S. Attorney General and later as a U.S. Senator; and Edward “Ted” Kennedy served in the U.S. Senate for nearly five decades (1962–2009). Indeed, from 1947 — when John F. Kennedy first took his seat in Congress — until 2011, when Patrick J. Kennedy (Ted Kennedy’s son) left the U.S. House of Representatives, at least one member of the Kennedy family held federal elective office.

Across those families, successive members have answered the call to serve in various capacities, from local and state offices to the highest national positions. Such legacies show that leadership can be a familial trait in the sense of tradition, training, and opportunity, rather than a simplistic matter of undue influence.

It is therefore a mistake to reduce Ms. Iniabasi Godswill Akpabio’s aspirations to mere nepotism. She even has the potential to emerge in a higher office because she has public management capacities, and she should be evaluated based on her competence, character, and commitment to the people, not solely on the identity of her forebears.

To attribute her current appointment exclusively to her father’s stature is to deny her agency and to misunderstand how civic vocations are often nurtured within families committed to public life.

Let us briefly retrace the path of the father. Senator Godswill Akpabio began his career in Lagos as Managing Director of EMIS Communication, having earlier served as a secretary. Though political activity in his native state initially proceeded without his involvement, the compelling influence of his family ultimately drew him back to Akwa Ibom, where he served as a commissioner, rose to the governorship, and today holds the office of Senate President.

The family’s formidable aura, marked by leadership qualities and a capacity to shape events, has been evident. That progression demonstrates the interplay of opportunity, personal aptitude, and collective support that characterizes many leadership journeys. The influence of family reputation and networks may open doors, but sustained public service typically depends on performance and public trust.

In Akwa Ibom, as in many societies, the cultivation of public-mindedness within families produces recurring leaders across generations: governors, legislators, traditional rulers, and civic advocates.

The examples from the Attah lineage demonstrate how leadership roles can reappear within extended kinship groups, reflecting both cultural continuity and individual ambition.

His Royal Highness Professor Bassey Udo Adiaha Attah was a renowned, Agriculture Professor and a leader who later became the clan head of Asutan.

His son, Obong Victor Attah, went on to serve as Governor of Akwa Ibom State. Today, another family member, Hon.(Engr.) Ubong Attah, a nephew of Obong Victor Attah, represents the Ibesikpo-Asutan State Constituency.

This succession of public service is not expected to end with Ubong’s generation; it will surely continue generation after generation.

Those who seek to demonize a young woman because of her parentage do a disservice to democratic norms and to the principle that every adult possesses the right to pursue public office.

The question is not whether a family has a legacy of leadership, but whether she possesses the will, the capacity, and the integrity to serve. Ms. Iniabasi’s pathway should be judged by her merits and her readiness to serve young people faithfully and effectively.

It is also important to distinguish between inherited advantage and the sovereign agency of the electorate. Even where family names confer recognition or initial access, democratic systems ultimately vest power in citizens who vote.

I say this because some people have begun insinuating that she may contest the 2031 election. Yes, she can, because she is qualified as an adult and has acquired the basic educational qualifications to do so.

She will not vote herself into any position; the people will vote for her if they find her worthy. There is no need to tie her predestined candidacy to her father, because she is pursuing her personal aspirations as an adult.

If Ms. Iniabasi seeks elective office, her fate will be decided by voters who evaluate her platform, record, and vision. To preemptively condemn her position as Director of the City Boys Movement based on lineage alone is demonization born of prejudice.

Furthermore, political dynasties can serve as repositories of institutional knowledge and mentorship. When successive generations enter public life with a genuine commitment to service, they can provide continuity, policy depth, and a cumulative understanding of governance.

Of course, this potential must be balanced against the imperative of broadening political participation and ensuring opportunities for diverse talents from all sectors of society.

Finally, if Ms. Iniabasi Godswill Akpabio aspires to public office, let her journey be met with fair assessment and constructive discourse. Celebrate the cultivation of leadership where it exists, challenge it where it privileges the few unjustly, and above all, respect the right of any adult to pursue a vocation in public service.

In a healthy polity, merit, accountability, and the sovereign judgment of the masses should determine who leads, not the bitterness of anonymous commentators.