Senate Minority Leader, Godwill Akpabio, has denied ownership of Lekki Gardens, Lagos, where a building collapsed and killed 35 people on Tuesday last week.
A statement by Akpabio’s spokesman, Anietie Ekong, on Tuesday in Abuja, said it was unfair link the former governor of Akwa Ibom, to a property he did not own.
“We want to state categorically that Senator Akpabio is not the owner of Lagos Lekki Gardens nor has he any form of relationship whatsoever with the said company.
“While we condole with the families of those who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate building collapse, we are saddened that the online media could choose to play politics with such a tragic incident as the death of Nigerians.
“This mischief is happening at a time the owners of Lagos Lekki Gardens have been arraigned before a competent court of law for all Nigerians to see,” Ekong said.
He tasked the online media that linked Akpabio to the property to find out from the Lagos State Government and the Corporate Affairs Commission the real ownership of Lekki Gardens.
This is not the first time Akpabio is being linked to troubled real estate.
The management of Lekki Gardens last year denied similar report in a section of the media of involvement with the lawyer-turned politician.
A statement by the company last year reads: “An October 17, 2015 report in a national newspaper titled: ‘EFCC quizzes Akpabio over alleged corruption’ had described the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State as the owner of Lekki Gardens.
“The publication further suggested that Senator Akpabio’s substantial investment in the company had enabled the firm grow from a middle market real estate consultancy firm to a major player in the property market in a period of barely five years.
“Lekki Gardens as a private property investment and development firm has no dealings with Senator Akpabio.
“Senator Akpabio has never injected capital into our company and we have never received any sort of funding from him since the inception of the company.”
