Former Governor Akpabio’s Credit Card Declined At London Hotel

Former Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, who is a current Nigerian senator, today faced serious embarrassment at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, a luxury five-star hotel in the Knightsbridge area of London. Mr. Akpabio’s credit card was declined as the ex-governor tried to check in.

Mr. Akpabio had been in London to receive medical treatment after his car bullet proof G-Wagon Mercedes Benz collided with an American Embassy diplomatic vehicle in Abuja. The accident had occurred after Mr. Akpabio’s driver reportedly failed to stop at a traffic light.

At the reception of Mandarin Hotel, a flustered Senator Akpabio, who wore a blue sports jacket, was visibly embarrassed on being told that his credit card had been denied. Two unidentified persons were with the former governor at the reception desk as he looked worried and flummoxed about the credit card predicament.

In the thick of the fiasco, the former governor was heard barking orders at an official at Eco Bank in Lagos. He persistently asked why his card was not working.

Mr. Akpabio remained at the reception for a while, apparently at the insistence of the hotel’s management, who later checked him in.

Mr. Akpabio, who as governor claimed that he had built a multi-million dollar “world class” hospital in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom, chose to be flown to the UK for treatment after his accident.