Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, says the mandate he secured as the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s senatorial candidate for the Akwa Ibom northwest is intact.
The clarification came on the heels of media reports that retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Udom Ekpoudum is the candidate recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Reacting to the reports, the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Akabio said Ekpoudom who belong to the Senator John James Akpanudoedehe faction of the party, “never took part in both the cancelled primary and the reordered primary” and couldn’t have emerged as candidate.
Akpabio in statement, said the reports confirming Ekoudom’s eligibility as the party’s candidate were allegedly planted by the ex DIG to create tension in the state.
He said, “Udom Ekpoudom, is a bonafide and committed member of the Senator John James Akpanudoedehe Support Group, led by Mr Austin Ekanem. That contraption is not recognised by law, then national leadership of the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission, as well as the leadership of the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the APC.
“Therefore, that contraption that purportedly conducted the senatorial primary, where Udom Ekpoudom, was allegedly declared a ‘winner’, is not known to law and he couldn’t have been said to have won the party’s ticket, because you cannot build nothing on nothing.
“The authentic party leadership of the party in the state is led by Obong Stephen Leo Ntukekpo. He is recognised by the INEC and the law and the national leadership of the party and based on that, all actions taken by him on the conduct of the party primaries at all levels, are known to law and remains the accepted position of the national leadership of the APC and the INEC.”
