Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of taking oil wells belonging to Cross River State and transferring them to Akwa Ibom State during his tenure as governor.
Amaechi made the allegation during an ADC town hall meeting held in Calabar to mobilise support ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former Minister of Transportation challenged Cross Riverians to demand an explanation from Akpabio over the alleged loss of the state's oil resources, insisting that his criticism was not motivated by party politics.
According to him, Akpabio's membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was not the reason for calling him out, but his alleged knowledge of what happened to the oil wells.
"I am not calling Akpabio out because he is in the APC. I am calling him out because he knows that I know what he did," Amaechi said, challenging Cross River residents to demand answers from the Senate President.
He also alleged that Akpabio had attempted to claim oil wells belonging to Rivers State but was challenged in court.
Beyond the oil wells controversy, Amaechi revisited the long-standing demand for a coastal railway connecting Lagos to Calabar, with an extension to Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State.
He disclosed that plans for the railway project had been discussed during his tenure as Minister of Transportation but were not executed because of funding constraints.
Amaechi estimated the proposed railway project at $11 billion and questioned the decision of President Bola Tinubu's administration to prioritise a coastal road project reportedly estimated at $16 billion.
He argued that the government should carefully examine its infrastructure priorities, particularly projects that could improve transportation and economic opportunities across the country.
The allegation comes amid the long-running dispute over offshore oil wells and maritime boundaries involving Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.
The controversy has remained a major political and economic concern for Cross River, particularly following the loss of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon and the subsequent dispute over the state's littoral status and oil revenue entitlements.
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