The defeat of the former governor of Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio in the 2019 general election, would be child’s play when compared with the political humiliation he would face in the coming 2923 election.
The senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West (Ikot Ekpene) senatorial district, Dr. Chris Ekpenyong, stated this in Saturday and advised Akpabio, a former minister of the Niger Delta Affairs and the All Progressives senatorial candidate for the 2013 election, to shelve his senatorial ambition as he has been rejected by the people.
Ekpeyong said that Akpabio should not even bother to contest again as he would face another impending defeat such as the one he suffered in 2019
Akpabio had while inaugurating his Senatorial Campaign Council for the Ikot Ekpene senatorial district on Thursday claimed that he won the 2019 election but the results were manipulated in favour of Ekpenyong.
The former governor said, “The people of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District want to use this election to prove to the world that their son, Senator Godswill Akpabio, won the senatorial election in 2019 but the results were manipulated against him and one of those who took part in that heinous crime, is today cooling off in prison.
“The outcome of that election was taken to Uyo against what the law says and the rest is now history. Another opportunity now beckons for the good people of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District to prove a point, that their votes was for me in 2019”
Continuing he said “Let me also caution our supporters. Whoever brings money to you, collect it but vote your conscience because your vote will surely count this time around. Don’t swear to any fetish oath.Vote APC all the way. Don’t allow the ongoing court case challenging the candidacy of Obong Akan Udofia to deter you, he remains the candidate of the party.
“A vote for me to go to the Senate is a vote for appointments, human capital development, Scholarship and empowerment and taking Akwa Ibom to the centre of national politics”.
But the press secretary to Senator Ekpenyong, Mr. Providence Essien, in a statement titled, “the Return of the National Comedian” made available to NationWide Saturday said such falsehood by Akpabio can only come from a man “who is still living in his false dreams after many years of being rejected by the electorate”.
He said Akpabio should not forget in a hurry that the 2019 election which he (Akpabio) lost, was a case of a man against the people and the will of the people prevailed.
The statement reads in part “The attention of the Senator representing Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has been drawn to a false allegation made by the defeated Warsaw general, Godswill Akpabio where he claimed he won the 2019 Ikot Ekpene Senatorial election and was shortchanged.
“For the avoidance of doubt and in order to set the record straight, the Distinguished Senator wishes to state the following: That Senator Godswill Akpabio should not forget that he was defeated twice in the 2019 Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District election: first at the general election and second, at the rerun to the glory of God to whom he (Akpabio) was equating himself;
“The event of 2019 election was a case of a man against the people and the will of the people won; that Akpabio should not forget that prior to that election which he lost, he had likened the election to a football match between Akwa United and Arsenal, in which by the grace of God Akwa United won Arsenal United;
“That the people of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District would not have voted a man who was generally rejected, even by his people in Essien Udim local government where he also lost; and as an elder brother to Akpabio, I will like to advise the former governor to forget about contesting next year’s election. Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District cannot choose the selfish and self-centred interest of a single man over and above the brotherhood and peaceful coexistence of the Senatorial District;
“That we in Ikot Ekpene federal constituency and other federal constituencies in the Senatorial District cannot cheat our brothers in Abak 5 now that it is their turn to produce a senator;
“That Senator Godswill Akpabio should stop using reverse psychology on the people. This same method he used in the past cannot work again. He should face the truth – this is the turn of Abak 5 and no amount of his public tears can reverse this decision of the people;
“That Senator Akpabio should go and rest. The people said so in 2019 through the ballot and will say same again in 2023; Godswill Akpabio should step aside and allow Abak 5 take their turn and stop this joke he is going around cracking because it will not work,” he said.