Our attention has been drawn to a news story written by one Uduakabasi Ikpatt, purporting that the controversial Akwa Ibom State, Resident Electoral Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Mike Igini, during an interview with the Arise TV, described the victory of Senator Godswill Akpabio, at the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial Primary, as ‘laughable’.
The statement, purportedly credited to Igini by Uduakabasi Ikpatt, as far as we know, exists only in the warped imagination of the writer, his Co- purveyors of lies and falsehood as well as his faceless collaborators, who will do anything to tar the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, inorder to please their paymaster(s).
The unbiased minds who listened to the controversial Electoral Officer’s interview, are in agreement that at no time, did Igini make mention of the name of the former Minister throughout his highly biased interview, not to talk of describing his legally won senatorial contest as ‘laughable’.
We challenge Ikpatt, who is fighting a proxy war for Senator Ita Enang, who was defeated at the governorship primary, to produce the video clip where the quotations he credited to Igini on Akpabio were made.
It is however sad that Ikpatt, who claims to be a reporter, could throughout his biased report, ignore the failure of Igini to provide direct answers to the questions that were asked him, such as:
“Why he chose to disrespect the order of the high court in Itu, Akwa Ibom State, that nullified the wards and local governments excos that purportedly elected Ekanem as the party chairman.
” Can one build something on nothing? Why did he chose to organise an illegal senatorial district primary on the 27th of May, which purportedly produced Udom Ekpoudom, when the exercise held nationwide on the 28th at the party’s NWC approved venues and date.
“The Electoral Act as amended, states that the INEC shall only monitor congresses at the venue duly communicated and approved by the NWC of the party.
“Was the Sheer Grace Arena, where he went to purportedly monitor the governorship primary, the approved venue in the letter that was sent to the commission? The approved venue for the Governorship primary was the state headquarters of the party and not the Sheer Grace Arena.”
Similarly, the lies by Ikpatt that the NWC of the party had withdrawn from the suit instituted by Senator Akpabio against INEC, should in fact, be the one that should be described as laughable.
The NWC, has not in anyway abandoned Senator Akpabio, who remains the party’s duly elected candidate for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial district.
In fact, if there is anything the party has done in the prevailing circumstance to bolster his confidence, is its resolve to stand by all their elected candidates including Akpabio, to ensure that they get their names on the ballot.
We also hope that the allegation of forgery, Ikpatt leveled against the former Senate Minority Leader, of his procurement of a forged document to prosecute his electoral victory, would be proved by him when called to substantiate his claims at the appropriate time.
We call on the supporters of Senator Akpabio and party members to disregard the lies currently making the rounds on the candidacy of the former Minister in the Senatorial contest. We are very confident that, at the end of all these, Akpabio and others will certainly be on the ballot.
Jackson Udom,
Chief Press Secretary To Senator Godswill Akpabio.
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