The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticised Senate President Godswill Akpabio for making what it described as an insensitive joke about the 2006 ADC Airlines crash that killed 96 people, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Maccido.
During a Senate session, Akpabio reportedly mocked opposition parties while making a reference to the crash, saying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was “on the ground,” the Labour Party was “scattered,” and that “ADC crashed even before it took off.” The comment, which drew laughter from some lawmakers, has since sparked anger across social media.
Reacting to the statement, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, condemned the Senate President’s remarks in a post on X (formerly Twitter), accusing him of disrespecting the memory of the victims of one of Nigeria’s deadliest air disasters.
He noted that ADC Airlines Flight 053 crashed on October 29, 2006, shortly after takeoff from Abuja, killing all 96 passengers onboard, including the Sultan of Sokoto, who was travelling to an education summit organised by the Federal Government.
“Turning such a painful chapter in our national history into a political joke is both heartless and shameful,” Abdullahi said.
The 2006 crash remains one of the most tragic events in Nigeria’s aviation history. As of press time, Akpabio had not issued any public response to the backlash.
