I Have Sponsored Muslim Pilgrimages For 25 Years, I Won’t Disparage Islam — Akpabio

Senate President Godswill Akpabio says he has supported Muslim pilgrimages to Mecca for 25 years and would not disparage Islam.

Akpabio spoke during plenary on Thursday while responding to criticism that trailed his comments on Tuesday during consideration of the Suicide Prevention Bill 2026.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing Cross River South, seeks to address issues relating to suicide prevention.

During the debate, Akpabio had said some young people contemplate suicide because “they believe seven virgins await them in the afterlife” — a remark some commentators described as disparaging to Muslims and their religious beliefs.

However, Akpabio said his remarks during legislative proceedings were taken out of context and misinterpreted for political purposes, insisting he had consistently sent people to the holy city to pray for him and Nigeria.

“I love the Muslim religion. I send people to Mecca to pray for me and to pray for this country, and I do that even up to yesterday, and I have been doing that since the last 25 years,” he said.

He expressed concern over what he described as the misrepresentation of discussions held on the Senate floor, particularly when such comments were subsequently discussed on television programmes.

“So I don’t know why people go and sit down on television and they try to misinterpret what we say here because politics is coming,” he said.

Akpabio said lawmakers were bound to disagree during debates while working towards legislation that would serve the country’s interest.

“We want to make the best laws, so we are bound to oppose each other, and we are also bound to support each other,” he added.

The Senate President cited his personal relationships with Muslims and his record of supporting religious pilgrimages as evidence that he had no intention of denigrating Islam.

He said that during his tenure as governor, he sponsored 5,800 Muslims to the holy land and more than 10,000 Christians to Rome and Jerusalem.

“My ADC for 19 years is a Muslim. I don’t recognize him as a Muslim. I recognize him as a brother; he’s from Azare in Bauchi state, the same thing with my CSO,” Akpabio said.

He noted that many of his staff members are Muslims, stressing that his relationship with them is based on mutual respect rather than religious differences.

“There’s no way I will talk down on Muslim religion, so people who go out there to talk should study the personalities involved,” he said.

Akpabio cautioned against associating terrorism with any particular religion, arguing that those who engage in suicide bombings should not use religious beliefs to justify violence.

“Terrorists are not Muslims. Terrorists are not Christians. Terrorists are human beings who believe in taking their lives and the lives of others,” he said.

He maintained that Islam forbids suicide and the killing of others, rejecting the suggestion that the religion encourages people to take their own lives in anticipation of heavenly reward.

“The Muslim religion that I know forbids suicide; it forbids killing,” he said.

The Senate President also referred to provisions on suicide in the Criminal Code and Penal Code, urging lawmakers to distinguish between people experiencing mental health challenges and those who deliberately take their lives.

He urged Nigerians to consider the final decision of the Senate when assessing debates in the chamber, noting that lawmakers could express differing opinions before reaching a resolution.

“No matter the discussion, please take the final decision of the senate into consideration,” Akpabio said, calling on Nigerians to focus on substantive issues rather than attempts to damage reputations through misinterpretation of statements.