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Tag: Godswill Akpabio

  • Akwa Ibom APC hails Buhari for nominating Akpabio for minister

    The Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed its appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for nominating Senator Godswill Akpabio as Minister.

    In a statement by the state chairman, Mr. Ini Okopido and secretary, Mr. Austin Ekanem, the APC in the state said Buhari has made a good choice from Akwa Ibom.

    The statement reads:  ”The APC  wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR on the appointment of Senator Godswill Akpabio as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    ”Senator Akpabio was our governor for eight years and he performed marvelously well in all those eight years.

    “He is an astute politician, a sterling administrator and effective leader.

    Read also: UPDATED: Akpabio, Aregbesola, Sylva, Saraki, others make Buhari’s ministerial list

    His service as senator between 20I5 and 20I9 was equally glorious and satisfactory”,

    The party stressed that Akpabio as a grassroots politician will deploy his wealth of knowledge in politics and good governance in helping the Buhari administration in actualising its change agenda.

    ”We are gratified that the President has appointed a grassroot politician as a Minister. Based on his pedigree, we believe that Senator Akpabio will contribute effectively to the development of the country and help in further strengthening of our Party in Akwa Ibom State.

    ”Once again, we congratulate, the uncommon achiever,  Senator Akpabio on his appointment and we thank the President for this appointment, which in essence is a reward for hard work, excellence and passion for service”, the statement said.

  • Witnesses: INEC cancelled Akpabio’s results

    Witnesses have told the election petition tribunal in Akwa Ibom State that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cancelled collated results compiled from their units and wards.

    They also alleged that INEC produced voters’ register which were not used on election day.

    Seven witnesses who testified on Senator Godswill Akpabio’s petition, told the three-man panel, that they were amazed to hear that collated results obtained from their units and wards were cancelled after they were announced at the polling units and wards.

    They added that the petitioner, Akpabio, won convincingly in all the units and wards that results were collated and announced.

    The Ward Agent in Okon Ward 8, Essien Udim council, said he was shocked to hear that the results which he signed at the collation centre were cancelled by INEC in Uyo. He insisted he only heard about the cancellation in the court.

    Lead counsel to the third respondent (INEC)   Ifeoluwa Otediran said INEC cancelled the results in 17 of the 20 pulling units in Okon Ward 8 because the voters’ resister used for accreditation were not ticked, and INEC believed that there was no accreditation of voters.

    But the witness said: “My Lord, it is not true. There was accreditation and our names were ticked in my Ward before we were allowed to vote, and the same thing was done in other polling units which our party agents told me about. There was no cancellation in my presence. I was a ward collation officer for my party.

    Read Also: Akpabio: God will expose Igini’s sins

    Testifying on INEC form EC8B1 for code 06 (Odoro Ikot Ward 6) of 05 registration area, a  witness said he was surprised to hear, for the first time inside the tribunal, that results in the 10 polling units in his ward were cancelled. According to him, voters’ register presented to him in the tribunal was different from the one used during the election.

    “My Lord, these documents tendered here are different from the one INEC brought to the polling units in Ward 8, Odoro Ikot, Essien Udim council on election day. It is a surprise that INEC gave us photocopied documents. I am surprised that there were original documents. “Our names were ticked on the voters’ register they gave to us, but it is shocking that our names are not ticked in this one here at the tribunal,” the witness said.

    The same scenario played out in Ukana West Ward 10 and Ukana East Ward 9; both agents discovered at the tribunal that all collated results in 7 and 10 polling units in the two wards were cancelled by INEC without their knowledge.

    The testimonies, according to legal analysts, revealed how some INEC officials conspired to cancel the results of Senator Akpabio to reduce his votes and declare his opponent winner of the election.

    Lead counsel to the petitioner S.I. Ameh was granted June 19 and 20 to present all his witnesses to continue their testimonies.

  • Akpabio: God will expose Igini’s sins

    Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom Northwest) is sure God will soon expose those who fraudulently orchestrated his loss in the last election.

    Akpabio specifically accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, of manipulating the election to rob him of his mandate. “Igini is the most compromised electoral officer in Nigeria and should not be allowed to hold public office”, he said.

    The former governor spoke at the weekend in Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area, during an empowerment for his constituents.

    1,200 beneficiaries got N100,000 each. Akpabio also distributed school bags and starter packs to pupils to mark the end of his tenure in the Senate.

    The senator insisted he did not lose the election, and urged his people not to be dismayed by the temporary setback.

    He said: “The evil manipulation by Igini and his cohorts are being exposed as evidenced by the arrest of some persons with card readers and other election materials. Please nobody should have any headache, nobody should cry because there is no need. You know your senator cannot lose election because we were all there.

    “But many of them thought they can go and write whatever they like, and even cancel what you won. I have never in my life experienced a resident electoral commissioner like Mike Igini, and my message to him is that his hypocrisy will be exposed.

    “There is no way you can come into Akwa Ibom and commit that kind of electoral fraud and then go back to Channels Television and sit down and talk as if you are a pope. One day, the world will know you, and very soon, the world will know you. All the materials we are recovering everyday will expose you.

    “Just on Friday, the police arrested people carrying materials from where they voted and were trying to sneak into INEC. The other day, they arrested someone with card readers. He was frantically calling and trying to say that they were used for training three months after election so that they will continue to manipulate.”

    Read Also: A’Ibom APC disowns anti-Akpabio group

    The former governor said he intends to join President Muhammadu Buhari to sanitise the country’s electoral system so that “the likes of Mike Igini will not stop the votes of Nigerians from counting”.

    “For me, it is important as a former governor and elder statesman to join the President to sanitise the electoral process so that we will ensure that votes count in future elections.

    “There is no need for Nigeria to continue taking one step forward and five steps backward,” Akpabio added.

    But Igini said Akpabio was making noise to attract Buhari’s attention for a possible federal appointment.

    According to him, Section 131 of the Electoral Act excludes him and other officers of the commission from being listed as respondents in post election litigations.

    He said it was preposterous for Akpabio to keep blaming him for his political misfortune, adding that he was not on the field on election day to have influenced voters against the senator.

    A statement by INEC’s Public Affairs Officer in the state, Don Etukudoh, reads: “One cannot condescend to this ridiculous level of name- calling every day, as if Senator Akpabio cannot apply himself to other things that can be useful to the society.

    “The last daily report of the tribunal proceedings to the office shows that he is still at the tribunal. So why this sudden appeal to God when the tribunal proceedings are still on? At least there are two layers of adjudication over complaints of undue return of winners in a constituency election – the tribunal and the Appeal court. The senator should, therefore, refrain from these verbal assaults and be patient by exhausting these earthly channels before this hurried appeal to God. Our Lords Temporal must be allowed their hearings before proceeding to disturb our Spiritual Lord.

    “Again, this pedestrian strategy of sustained media noise-making so that Abuja would remember them is to say the least very shameful. Akpabio must sustain the noise to attract the attention of Abuja for possible consideration for an appointment. The tribunal states very clearly that Section 137 excludes my office and other officers of the commission from being listed as respondents.”

     

     

  • Akpabio: Activists reply Akwa Ibom APC

    The Ibom Integrity and Servant Leadership Culture Initiative (IISLCI) on Sunday maintained its opposition to the appointment of ex-Akwa Ibom governor Godswill Akpabio as a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    It said the Akwa Ibom State Working Committee (SWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which criticised its position, failed to address the allegations it made against Akpabio.

    Last Wednesday, Akwa Ibom APC Publicity Secretary Nkereuwem Enyongekere described IISLCI, comprising a group of activists, as faceless.

    Enyongekere said the group was not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

    Akpabio’s spokesman, Anietie Okon, also described the group as ‘faceless.’ He said it was unknown in the state, adding that responding to its petition ‘’would amount to according legitimacy to a faceless group.’’

    But in another statement yesterday, IISLCI said making Akpabio a minister would destabilise APC.

    The group frowned at the APC SWC for focusing on its registration status rather than the issues it raised.

    “We are, however, encouraged by the fact that the said unsigned statement didn’t deny any of the issues bordering on integrity deficit that were raised in our letter”, the statement said.

    It urged President Buhari not to consider Akpabio because of an alleged pending corruption charge against the former Senator by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Read Also: A’Ibom APC disowns anti-Akpabio group

    IISLCI’s Executive Vice President  Dr. Asuquo Edidem Etim insisted that its complaint to the President echoed “the inner thoughts of many patriotic and loyal members of APC in Akwa Ibom and the Southsouth states.”

    It claimed that Akpabio’s “haughty attitude” and public utterances against the party and the person of the president in 2011 and 2015 general elections eroded the goodwill and sympathy the APC enjoyed in Akwa Ibom state before his defection to the party from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    It said the claims it made against Akpabio in its letter to the President were verifiable.

    On the EFCC probe, the group cited a report in which Akpabio was quizzed by operatives of the anti-graft agency over an alleged N108 billion fraud few months after he left office, following a petition by a lawyer who is also an activist.

    According to Etim, the senator has not been acquitted of the allegation.

    On intolerance of opposing views, the group cited the arraignment of Senator John Udoedehe for alleged treason following reported violence which occurred at the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) campaign rally in Ikot Ekpene which allegedly left scores of ACN supporters dead.

    It claimed that the unfortunate incident came after causing Udoedehe’s detention for weeks prior to the election in which he was Akpabio’s main opponent. Akpabio was then in the PDP.

    IISLCI further accused the senator of not keeping faith with the weekly executive council meeting, while he was a governor, wondering how he would keep up with the tasking schedule as a minister. It also claimed that Akpabio had a “culture of intemperate language”, which would “do more harm to the party at all levels,” if he was appointed minister.

    In this instance, IISLCI recalled that while at a funeral ceremony in Aguobu-Owa, Ezeagu Local Government area of Enugu State on August 21, 2018, Senator Akpabio allegedly declared that APC’s takeover of Akwa Ibom in 2019 would be as total as the 1940 invasion of Poland by the German dictator, Adolf Hitler. This statement, the group claimed, cost the APC enormous goodwill of voters in the 2019 elections.

    According to the group, Akpabio lacked electoral value which was required to reposition APC in Akwa Ibom.

    “He came into APC with no recognizable political structure or any meaningful support base of any value. It was expected that a politician of that stature would be able to at least command the loyalty and following of at least half of the members of the House of Assembly, but he came almost empty-handed.

    “So, when the PDP cleared all the 13 NASS seats, including his own, in Akwa Ibom, won 20 of the 21 House of Assembly seats in the state and retained the governorship of the state, it became very clear that we had actually overrated his electoral value and influence”, the statement added.

    The group added that based on the desire of APC members in the state to have a representative in President Buhari’s cabinet, who would enjoy the support of majority of Akwa Ibom people irrespective of political background, and for equity and fairness in a party that was emerging from a depressing electoral experience in the state, the party needed a unifying factor. Akpabio, it claimed, “does not fit into this leadership class.”

     

  • Ekpenyong to Akpabio: stop intimidating election tribunal

    Senator-elect for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District (Akwa Ibom North-West), Dr. Chris Ekpenyong, has told Senator Godswill Akpabio to allow members of the election tribunal do their work.

    According to Ekpenyong, Akpabio has been intimidating and blackmailing the duly constituted election tribunal currently handling the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial petition matter.

    The tribunal sits in Uyo, the state capital.

    The senator-elect, who demanded that Akpabio should be charged for contempt, said in an interview over the weekend that, “for continuing to stampede the tribunal with a view to forcing it to change the course of justice”.

    Ekpenyong, former Deputy Governor of the state (1999 – 2005), who contested on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was declared winner over Akpabio in the February 23, 2019 elections.

    According to Akpabio, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mike Igini, compromised and rigged the election in favour of the PDP.

    But Ekpenyong, who defeated him with over 118,000 votes as against Akpabio’s over 83,000 votes, faulted the allegation, saying the INEC REC, Igini, imbibed best practices in the conduct and delivery of the polls in the state.

    “Akpabio has never won any free and fair election on a level playing field since 2007 when he became the governor of this state because I was one of the 57 aspirants that stood the election with him and I knew he did not win.

    Read Also: Akpabio: I’ve no regrets leaving PDP

    “I only allow peace a chance so that people would begin to think I was fighting my brother from the same Federal Constituency, so I had to concede and move on thinking he would deploy the wealth of the state to address the challenges of underdevelopment plaguing the rural communities and the poor people of the state.

    “The election has been won and lost and this is the best elections ever conducted in the state since 2007. Therefore, for him to have accused Igini, a man of excellent track-record in public service over the years to have compromised, even when the people actually voted for those they wanted, is the height of blackmail.

    “I have never met Igini for once before the elections. I was only forced to meet him when I was drafted by the people of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District to run in his stead when he (Akpabio) abandoned the PDP and fled for cover in APC.

    “When he fled to the APC, he had boasted that elections would be concluded in just three hours and I asked Igini whether there would be any level playing field to guarantee a free and fair contest with this kind of statement from Akpabio.

    “I had to enter the race when Igini assured me that elections would be won at the units and not in people’s homes as it used to be since 2007. So the people have spoken concerning what God said would be the case in Akwa Ibom in 2019 and there is no amount of blackmail and propaganda that can change that unanimous resolution.

    “Therefore, I am not the one that defeated him, only God and the people of Akwa Ibom state said no to his strangle-hold on power that has seen real development being subdued in politics of sentiment since 2007 in Akwa Ibom,” he said.

    He, therefore, urged the tribunal to disregard Akpabio’s intimidating antics and follow the case dispassionately to a logical conclusion that would be in the best interest of the people of Akwa Ibom, who turned out en-masse at the polls to change what he described as “the business as usual era of Godswill Akpabio”.

     

  • Akpabio: I’ve no regrets leaving PDP

    Despite his current travails, Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial district) says he has no regrets whatsoever over his recent political decisions.

    He specifically said he has no regrets leaving the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Party (APC) and his choice of Governor Udom Emmanuel as his successor in 2015.

    According to him, he took the decisions in the best interest of Akwa Ibom state and Nigeria as a whole and would make the same decisions all over again if need be.

    Akpabio, who spoke to our correspondent at his Ukana country home in Essien Udim local government area over the weekend, said he does not nurse any bitterness against those have betrayed him politically.

    ”I have no regret choosing Udom Emmanuel as my successor. Like I always say, in 2015 I wasn’t looking for a governor for Godswill Akpabio. I was looking for a governor for Akwa Ibom people.

    ”If Akwa Ibom people are happy with him (Udom Emmanuel), why not? And you know you have to bring out somebody that is presentable. And if you are going for a football match, you must select good players. So for me I don’t have any regret over Udom Emmanuel and I pray he does well for the state.

    ”He has the opportunity of doing well for the benefit of Akwa Ibom state so I have no regret. And I also do not have any regret joining the APC, not a single regret. If I was to take a decision today, I will still go to the APC”, he said.

    Akpabio maintained that he has no grudge or bitterness against those who have betrayed him politically, saying they were swayed by money rather than loyalty.

    His words, ”People don’t understand that life is full of ups and downs. Life is not a straight line. If it is a straight line, it means you are dead. Even if you have a temporary setback, that shouldn’t make you exude bitterness or hate anybody”

    He debunked the rumour that he was planning to return back to the PDP, insisting that he is very comfortable in the APC.

    ”I can’t go back to the PDP. Why are you people listening to rumour? Why will I go back to the PDP when I am already getting entrenched in the APC? I am excited that the President won the election all over the country,” Akpabio said.

  • Akpabio’s legal team inspects election materials

    The legal team of Senator Godswill Akpabio(Akwa Ibom Northwest) yesterday inspected election materials used in the last senatorial election.

    Akpabio’s lawyers, led by Patrick Umoh, were at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo, by 10am.

    It was gathered that the ongoing inspection was stopped last Tuesday because of the Easter holidays after Umoh accused INEC of preventing them from accessing and inspecting the materials.

    They were led by the INEC officials to the strong room where the materials stacked in heaps were sorted out.

    However, one of the lawyers representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the tribunal, Ekom Nwoko, said he was at the venue to observe the inspection being done by the petitioners being a respondent in the matter.

    Nwoko said the PDP and the first respondent, Dr. Christopher Ekpenyong of the PDP, have filed a motion for the tribunal to set aside some reliefs granted exparte at the tribunal especially, forensic examination of election materials.

    He hoped that some reliefs would be set aside. “Our motion is premised on section 151 of the Electoral Act, and inspection of Electoral materials does not cover forensic examination of materials. That is the premise of our motion. And likely, the motion will come up next week, but we have not got a date yet,” he said.

    INEC’s Public Affairs Officer Don Etukudo said the legal team was able to sort out the election materials for the 10 councils.

    He said: “You have seen that the inspection process is on. The legal team of the APC started the process when we took them to the Strong Room and they saw the materials.

     

     

  • Akpabio’s legal team finally inspects election materials

    After almost a week of exchange of blames and accusations, the Legal team of Senator Godswill Akpabio(Akwa Ibom Northwest) on Tuesday inspected election materials used in the last senatorial election in the area.

    Our correspondent confirmed Akpabio’s team of lawyers led by Patrick Umoh was at the state headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state by 10am for the inspection.

    It was gathered that the ongoing inspection process was stopped last Tuesday because of the Easter holidays after Akpabio’s lead counsel Umoh had accused INEC of preventing them from accessing and inspecting the materials.

    They were led by the INEC officials to the Strong Room where the materials stacked in heaps were sorted out.

    However, Barrister  Ekom Nwoko, one of the lawyers representing the PDP at the Tribunal, said he was at the venue to observe inspection by the petitioners having been joined as a respondent in the matter.

    Nwoko disclosed that the PDP and the first respondent, Dr. Christopher Ekpenyong have filed a motion for the Tribunal to set aside some reliefs granted exparte at the Tribunal especially forensic examination of election materials.

    Read also: ‘Akpabio can’t be written off in Akwa Ibom politics’

    Expressing the hope that some reliefs would be set aside, Nwoko added: “Our motion is premised on section 151 of the Electoral Act, and inspection of Electoral materials does not cover forensic examination of materials.

    “That is the premise of our motion. And likely, the motion will come up next week, but we have not got a date yet”

    Speaking in an interview few hours later, the Public Affairs Officer of INEC, Akwa Ibom state, Mr. Don Etukudo, said the legal team was able to sort out the election materials for the ten local government areas.

    His words: “You have seen that the inspection process is going on. The legal team of the APC started the process of inspection of the election materials when we took them to the Strong Room and they saw the materials.

    “What the APC legal team has been able to do today is to bring out the election materials for all the ten local government areas. By tomorrow (Wednesday) they will start the actual inspection of the materials. They will start with Abak, Etim Ekpo and Ika local government areas.”

    Etukudo who noted that the team was able to sort out election materials for the ten local government areas before 4:00pm, stressed that he had no doubt that the challenge of sorting the materials out from the stacked heaps would be surmounted.

    Asked when inspection of materials for other cases at the Tribunal would commence, Etukudo explained that the Tribunal asked the commission to make materials available to only Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district.

    Senator Godswill Akpabio of the APC had few weeks ago approached the Election Petition Tribunal in the state to challenge the results of the February 23, 2019 elections which saw Dr. Christopher Ekpenyong, of the PDP winner.

  • PDP clears Akpabio’s senatorial district

    It was another orgy of defeat for the senator representing Akwa Ibom Northeast senatorial district, Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won all the 10 council areas in the zone.

    Akpabio, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) August last year, was believed to be the magic wand to deliver Akwa Ibom to the ruling party at the centre.

    But the former governor failed to secure a return to the Senate as he lost with a wide margin to Chris Ekpenyong of the PDP in the February 23 national assembly elections.

    Results of 9 out of 10 local government areas in Akwa Ibom Northeast senatorial announced so far indicate that the PDP has taken the zone.

    The result for Essien Udim, which is Akpabio’s local government area, is yet to be announced as at the time of filing this report.

    The delay in submission of results from Akpabio’s local government area, our correspondent learnt, was due to reported cases of violence, harassment and manhandling of INEC officials and other electoral officers in the Saturday’s polls.

    INEC has so far announced results of 30 out of the 31 local government areas in the States.

    Governor Udom Emmanuel of the PDP has won landslide in the 30 out of the 31 local government areas announced so far.

    Results the 30 local government areas so far presented indicated that the PDP has scored 518,003 votes while APC has polled 165,336.

    There is anxiety in the air as INEC officials have taken a 30- minute break to wait for results from Essien Udim.

    The INEC resident electoral commissioner, Mike Igini, is yet to announce the final results of the governorship election due to the delay in the submission of Essien Udim results.

    APC agent for the governorship election, Archbishop Samuel Akpan has rejected the result as presented by collation officers from the 30 LGAs.

    Akpan alleged that PDP rigged elections in most of the wards and units across the state, adding that elections did not even hold in some places.

    The National legal adviser of the PDP, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem said the results declared so far indicated the wishes of Akwa Ibom people.

     

     

     

     

  • Displaced A’Ibom community hails Emmanuel over resettlement pact

    The people of Amazaba community in Eastern Obolo local government area of Akwa Ibom state have appreciated Governor Udom Emmanuel for signing a peace/resettlement pact to enable them return to their land.

    Amazaba community made up of 8 villages was involved in a bloody crisis with Ikot Akpan Udo village in Ikot Abasi local government area sometime in 2008 which led hundreds of deaths and destruction of properties on both sides.

    The state government under the then governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio had asked the warring communities to vacate their lands as a measure to forestall further loss of lives.

    Following the development, natives of Amazaba had to seek refuge in other riverine communities within and outside Eastern Obolo, most times living under harsh and squalid conditions.

    For almost 11 years successive administrations in the state could not bring amicable settlement to the lingering crisis to enable the displaced natives of both communities return to their ancestral homes.

    The chairman Development committee of Amazaba clan, Mr. Ezekiel Tiligbor who spoke with our correspondent yesterday said there was a ray of hope for the resettlement of his people following Governor Emmanuel’s endorsement of an agreement granting them permission to return to their ancestral land.

    Tiligbor said, ”The people of Amazaba are very grateful to Governor Udom Emmanuel for signing the peace/resettlement agreement which will enable us return to our home.

    ”We had a fight with our neighbour, the IKot Akpan Udo village. We lost so many lives and properties. We cannot quantify our loss. And I believe Ikot Akpan Udo people also have their sad stories to tell.

    ”It was an unfortunate incident because we and our neighbours had lived peacefully for decades. We inter married and shared so many things in common. The clash was the the most harrowing period of our lives.

    Read Also: A’Ibom speaker wins Etinan federal constituency

    ”We have learnt our lesson that crisis does not bring any good considering the fact that we had to vacate our land to squat in other places for eleven years.

    In the course of these years, we have had to live under very inhuman conditions. As a result, so many of us have died. Our means of livelihood which is fishing had been threatened”.

    The community leader, while thanking the governor for the intervention, promised that the people of Amazaba would vote enmasse for Emmanuel and the Peoples Democratic Party during the governor/assembly elections as a mark of appreciation for helping them resettle in the ancestral home.