By Ekemini Simon
Following the recent withdrawal of Sen Godswill Akpabio as the Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District rerun, the Peoples Democratic Party, Akwa Ibom State Chapter has called on Sen Akpabio not to withdraw from the race but rather submit himself for what the party describes as confirmatory defect.
In a press statement read by the Publicity Secretary of PDP in the State, Comrade Ini Ememobong on Friday, December 13, 2019, he noted that PDP sees the scheme by Akpabio to withdraw from the race and consequently substitute a candidate to replace him as a joke taken too far.
The PDP insisted that the only way the APC can substitute a candidate is if the incumbent candidate dies a physical death and not what they described as political death as that currently witnessed.
Part of the Statement reads ” Senator Akpabio was a party before the court and the order of the court is that he should go back for a rerun in Essien Udim- that’s an order of the court and as a lawyer, he should obey that order and submit himself for confirmatory defeat.
” The purported withdrawal of the Senatorial candidate is a clear face-saving attempt by Chief Akpabio, in a bid to avoid a recurring defeat by Senator Chris Ekpenyong, whom he had earlier boasted was not a match for him. But like it’s common knowledge, pride goes before a fall.
“Senator Ekpenyong Defeated Chief Akpabio in 8 local government areas with a large margin of more than 38,000 votes-which is Akpabio’s present nightmare. Post election, he went to the tribunal and characteristically nearly turned it into a circus and ended up celebrating a minority judgement of the tribunal.”
The PDP recalled that Akpabio had approached the Court of Appeal claiming that elections were free and fair and requested that the votes he procured in Essien Udim be recognized and counted for him so that he can be declared the winner and returned elected.
The party noted that the court had discountenanced his claims and refused to grant his request, instead cancelled the entire election in Essien Udim LGA ordering a rerun.
The PDP Spokesperson pointed out that the court described what happened in Essien Udim as a travesty of electoral process, “Pervasive hooliganism, unparalleled violence, abduction of poll officials “.
While describing as funny the claim by Akpabio that he has a patriotic task to perform at the Federal Executive Council as Minister hence the reason he wish to withdraw from the rerun, Ememobong queried ” The question is, when did he realize this duty which he claims he owes the Niger Delta? Why did he not withdraw before the Appeal court judgment? If the Court of Appeal had granted the reliefs he sought for, would he have still withdraw?”
The PDP Publicity Secretary who described Akpabio’s withdrawal as a case study for political cowardice said the PDP are concerned about why Akpabio is afraid of contesting election in his hometown, Essien Udim when he had once boasted that he could not lose an election anywhere in the State.
The PDP insisted that with the court ordered rerun, Akpabio should have been excited as he was earlier, to show the world that he cannot lose an election in his local government area.
Commenting on the next step to take him the withdrawal of Akpabio stands, Ememobong said ” We can’t force him to come and be beaten again. However, we are prepared for three elections in Essien Udim. The attempt to expand the boundary of the law is what we are concerned. Humility is a virtue. Akpabio should be humble and accept his defeat.
Why are you withdrawing after being beaten? Don’t transfer the beating to another person.”
Part of the Statement reads ” Our party seriously frowns at the clowning attempts by Senator Akpabio to derail the electoral process in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, as we have on good authority that he intends to use the judicial process to prevent the conduct of the rerun, by instituting court actions to compel INEC to accept his purported withdrawal- this suit he intends to drag up to the Supreme Court if he loses.
” We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission to treat the withdrawal letter of Senator Akpabio as a concession of defeat and hold that APC has no candidate in the forthcoming Senatorial rerun due next year.
“Additionally, we ask the commission to ignore and discountenance the shameless demand for the removal of Mike Igini as REC. This call is ill-motivated as he wants REC that will allow him the liberty to concoct results in Essien Udim during the rerun, as that is the only way he can win elections there.”
