Biography Intro: Godswill Akpabio is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who is a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Senate’s Minority Leader. He was also Governor of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria from May 29, 2007 to May 29, 2015.

NAME:Godswill Obot Akpabio

DATE OF BIRTH:19 December 1962

PLACE OF BIRTH:

FATHER:  Chief Obot Akpabio

MOTHER:Madam Lucy Obot Akpabio

MARRIED TO: Ekaette Akpabio

EDUCATION: University of Calabar, Nigerian Law School

CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: Akpabio had a brief stint as a teacher and as an associate partner with paul usoro and co., a law firm in nigeria

The advent of Godswill Akpabio as Governor of Akwa Ibom State on 29 May 2007 marked the beginning of the state’s transformation.

Government policies and programmes in virtually all sectors of the economy have impacted positively on the lives of the people since Akpabio’s inauguration as the third democratically elected governor of the state, eight years ago, making a turnaround for good in the story of the state

He also worked with emis telecoms limited, a wireless telecommunications company in lagos, nigeria. In 2002, he rose to the position of the managing director/chief executive officer of the company. In this position, he helped in shaping the future of the burgeoning telecoms industry. He had earlier served as the national publicity secretary of the association of telecommunication companies in nigeria, (atcom), while a director of emis.

Appointments and politics
In 2002, he was appointed honourable commissioner for petroleum and natural resources by the then governor obong victor attah in akwa ibom state. Between 2002 and 2006, he served as a commissioner in three key ministries: petroleum and natural resources, local government and chieftaincy affairs, as well as lands and housing.[25][26][27]

In 2006, he aspired for the governorship of akwa ibom state in a hotly contested primary election and defeated 57 other aspirants to emerge the candidate of the people’s democratic party (pdp).[28] his campaign with the slogan, “let god’s will be done” received mass support and was elected governor in 2007. He was re-elected for a second term in office as governor of akwa ibom state in 2011.

In 2013, he was elected chairman of the newly formed pdp governors forum

In 2015, he contested and won the senate seat of the akwa ibom north west (ikot ekpene) senatorial district to represent the district in the senate of the federal republic of nigeria. Running under the platform of the people’s democratic party (pdp), he polled 422,009 of the 439,449 to defeat chief inibehe okorie of the all progressive congress (apc) who recorded 15, 152 votes to be declared elected by the independent national electoral commission (inec).

He was nominated for the position of the senate minority leader by the south-south caucus of the people’s democratic party (pdp), ratified by the caucus of the pdp in the senate and announced by the senate president as senate minority leader on 28 july 2015. The pdp lost the majority to the all progressives congress (apc), in the 2015 general elections.

PUBLICATIONS: Words that Build a Nation: Famous Words of Governor Akpabio

HONORS AND AWARDS:Industry Patron Award