Lawmaker battles N19m unpaid ticket allegation

A member of the House of Representatives representing Obudu/Bekwarra/Obanliku Federal Constituency of Cross River State, Peter Akpanke, has denied allegations that he owes a travel agency more than N19 million, following a petition filed against him with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The petition, written by Ohanele Udokanmma, solicitor to Johnson Ugochukwu of Havilah Global Travels Limited, accused the lawmaker of failing to pay for international and local airline tickets procured on his behalf despite repeated demands.

According to the petition, Akpanke engaged the agency on January 16, 2026, to purchase three business-class tickets to Rome for himself and two associates at a cost of N24.48 million.

The solicitor alleged that while in Rome, the lawmaker requested the reissuance of two tickets at an additional cost of N5.79 million and later sought another ticket reissuance worth N1.52 million, bringing the total value of the international bookings to about N31 million.

The petitioner acknowledged that Akpanke paid N10 million before the trip and another N4 million after returning, leaving an outstanding balance of N17.79 million.

It further claimed that the agency later procured a local flight ticket worth N1.36 million for the lawmaker, raising the total alleged debt to N19.15 million.

The solicitor said repeated efforts to recover the money had failed and urged the ICPC to investigate the matter.

Responding to the allegations, Akpanke dismissed the N19.15 million debt claim as false, admitting only that he had an outstanding balance with the agency but insisting it was far less than the amount stated in the petition.

“It’s a lie. I’m not owing Havilah Travels N19 million. I’m having some balances to pay them, but it’s not up to N19 million,” he said.

The lawmaker questioned why the matter was being discussed publicly while already before an anti-graft agency, suggesting the petition could be politically motivated.

He argued that owing money in a business transaction was not a criminal offence and should not be portrayed as misconduct.

“To owe somebody is not a crime. That’s business. If we did business and maybe I’m owing him, a lot of people are owing me too,” he said.

Akpanke also rejected claims that he was using his political office to avoid payment, noting that he had maintained a long-standing business relationship with the travel agency, which had previously handled ticket purchases worth over N100 million for him.

He said he had continued to make payments and could provide evidence of recent transactions.

“I did business with Havilah Travels, and I’m not denying that. But I’m not owing them N19 million. I’ve been paying, and I can show evidence of my last payment,” he said.

The lawmaker added that purchasing airline tickets on credit was a legitimate business arrangement and warned against using the media to pressure debtors while investigations were ongoing.