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The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has faulted claim by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that he influenced Prof Peter Ogban to manipulate the results of the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District in his favour. Akpabio, who administered Akwa Ibom between 2007 and 2015, described the attempt by PDP to link him with Ogban’s fraudulent conduct as spurious, unfounded and malicious.
The Minister in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Aniete Ekong, maintained that he was rather a victim of the fraudulent manipulation of the senatorial seat election, held in 2019.
He said: “In their desperation in a continuing campaign of calumny against Senator Akpabio, the INEC in Akwa Ibom State twisted the context of the judgment and maliciously claimed that the election was rigged in favour of Senator Akpabio.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. The facts of the case put a lie to this assertion…
“It could be recalled that Sen. Godswill Akpabio had approached the National Assembly Election Tribunal to challenge the outcome of the February 23, 2019 Senatorial District elections, which held in Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District. Amongst those who were sued was the Returning Officer of Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District, Professor Ogban, who alongside the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini, hijacked the Election Results from the Senatorial District Collation Headquarters, Ikot Ekpene to another Senatorial District at the INEC office in Uyo, where the collated votes of Senator Godswill Akpabio were maliciously and arbitrarily cancelled by the Resident Electoral Commissioner- Mike Igini and Prof Ogban…”
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