Akwa Ibom Senate Rerun: Akpabio Reiterates Pull-Out, Threatens Political Jobbers

Former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio has affirmed his withdrawal from the January 25 Senate re-run polls warning to take action against anyone that links him to the election.

Senator Akpabio came a distant second in the poll last February with the Independent National Electoral Commission scoring him 83,158 to the 118,215 polled by his challenger at that time, Chris Ekpeyong.

However, following the Appeal Court judgment that nullified the results returned in Akpabio’s Essien Udim Local Government Area the results for the two main candidates had Ekpeyong at 114,973 and Akpabio at 76,917.

The outcome led to the declaration of a rerun in Essien Udim which is Akpabio’s Local Government Area.

However, with the prospect of the former governor and senator catching up with Ekpeyong, the former senator was said to have focused on his duties as minister.

Last December he formally indicated his intention not to contest in the rerun and asked his party to send in a replacement, a request that has raised controversies as untenable.

Affirming that he is not contesting for the rerun scheduled for next week, the former governor in the statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Anietie Ekong, Akpabio said:

“The APC had through the National Chairman, Comrade Adams  Oshiomhole and the then Acting National Secretary, Hon Victor T. Giadom in compliance with the requirement for 45 days notice to be given for the substitution of candidates, written to the Chairman of INEC,  to submit the name of Ekperikpo Ekpo as a replacement for Senator Akpabio in the election. This was acknowledged by INEC.

“Senator Akpabio, however, aligns himself with the position of his party, the APC as expressed by the State Chairman, Mr. Ini Okopido in a recent press statement that “As we prepare for the re-run elections in Essien Udim LGA, we are cautious and mindful of a re-run election superintended by Mike Igini. We have no faith in Igini’s impartiality as an unbiased and independent umpire.

“It has been brought to the attention of Senator Akpabio of a sinister plot by some paid political jobbers and miscreants who appear jittery about the upcoming elections in Essien Udim LGA to write spurious petitions to security agencies and make all manners of wild allegations against Senator Akpabio.

“Having withdrawn from the contest to face higher national responsibilities, we caution political jobbers to desist forthwith from their planned smear campaigns against Senator Akpabio and unnecessarily heating up the polity.

“The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Akpabio will have no choice than to invoke the full weight of the law against anyone who engages in any plot to smear his name through sponsored, fabricated petitions. A word is enough for the wise.”

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