Why Akpabio withdrew from re-run, by PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State has asserted that the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, withdrew from the re-run poll to avert a second defeat.

During a press conference at the party’s secretariat in Uyo yesterday, the publicity secretary, Mr. Ini Ememobong, described the former governor’s withdrawal from the re-run ballot as a joke.

He insisted that Akpabio and the All Progressives Congress (APC) must submit themselves for a “confirmatory defeat”.

According to the party, it is inappropriate for Akpabio to seek to be replaced by another candidate for the Ikot Ekpene senatorial district re-run poll.

“Senator Akpabio was a party before the court and the order of the court is that he should go back for a re-run in Essien Udim. As a lawyer, he should obey that order and submit himself for confirmatory defeat.

“Some days ago, our party, like other members of the reading public, saw a letter infixed in the letterhead of Senator Akpabio attempting to convey the purported withdrawal of the APC senatorial candidate in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.

“Due to the cunning and comical nature of the dramatis personae, we had to wait for a reasonable time to be sure that he will not make his habitual volte face and claim that he didn’t write the letter or that it was one of the skits in his newfound hobby of national comedy.”

The purported withdrawal of the senatorial candidate, the party’s spokesman added, is a clear face-saving attempt by Akpabio, to avoid a recurring defeat by Senator Chris Ekpenyong, whom he had earlier boasted was not a match for him.

The party urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to treat Akpabio’s withdrawal letter as a concession of defeat and hold that APC had no candidate in the senatorial re-run next year.

But the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the minister, Anietie Ekong, said he would not glorify the PDP with a response; hence the party could say anything it wished.

“The PDP is free to talk its usual trash, and we are not ready to respond to their trash,” Ekong said.