By Funmi Akinbolu
Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, may have finally succeeded in his plot to move sittings of the Election Petitions Tribunal from Uyo, the state capital, to Abuja for easy manipulations.
Our reporter gathered exclusively that Akpabio boasted today, that “he has finally convinced the Appeal Court President, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa to move the Tribunal currently sitting in Uyo to Abuja in the next 24 hours from where a ruling that will favour him will be written.”
Akpabio, who has been nominated as minister by President Muhammadu Buhari and is billed to be sworn in tomorrow, is challenging the victory of Senator Chris Ekpenyong in the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District election.
“Watch out, in the next 24 hours, the tribunal will be moved from Uyo to Abuja and as I speak, the judgement that will favour is being written.
“I have finally secured the approval and consent of the Appeal Court President to ensure that my victory at the tribunal is assured. If you doubt me, wait and see what will happen in the next 24 hours,” our source quoted Akpabio to have boasted to close associates a few hours ago.
Akpabio’s boast seems to be a last ditch efforts to upturn the popular will of the people of the North West Senatorial District who had overwhelmingly voted for Senator Chris Ekpenyong.
“How can he claim victory when the result he is bandying is fake? It has been proven at the tribunal that he did not follow the process of accreditation and thus did not vote. His witnesses have confirmed this. Akpabio’s boast is therefore an attempt to turn justice in its head and Nigerians and international community should be put
on notice,” the source, who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) queried.