Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Rerun: Akpabio chickens out of contest …Says “I Prefer Niger Delta Ministerial To Senate”

Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Rerun: Akpabio chickens out of contest …Says “I Prefer Niger Delta Ministerial To Senate”

Baring any clear legal impedements, it can be authoritatively reported that the APC Senatorial Candidate for Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District, Senator Godswill Akpabio will not participate in the yet-to-be scheduled rerun elections in the Senatorial District.

Recall that the Court of Appeal had ordered a rerun of the Senatorial elections in Essien Udim LGA only. Senator Akpabio who’s the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs hails from Essien Udim Local Government Area.

There have recently been concerns over the Senator’s disposition to contest the elections in view of some ambitious steps he’s taken in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

For instance, it is becoming clear that there are ulterior motives behind the Forensic audit ordered for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The whole essence of the sanctimonious grandstanding is embedded in the Minister’s concealed desire to pilfer the NDDC.

The Minister would therefore not give a thought over calls for him to contest the Senatorial rerun. He has confided in close associates his unwillingness to go for the election, in which his resignation as Minister may be necessary.

It is reported that aside not being certain of a win even in a free and fair contest, the Senator is unsure of his popularity and acceptability at home. Rather than contest the elections and prove a political point by redeeming his name and image, the Minister is reported to have opted to ‘let it slide’ apparently drawing motivation from the treatise of some statesmen like Architect Ezekiel Nya-Etok who advised against his recontesting the election.

To further the plot, the Minister used the opportunity of the inaugural Convocation of Ritman University, where he is Chancellor to meet and finalise grey areas with Senator Chris Ekpenyong, his rival and current occupant of the seat.

The Minister also surprisingly paid an unscheduled nocturnal visit to the political leader of Essien Udim Chief Michael Afangideh whom it is reported gave his blessing to the subterranean arrangement.

It is still unclear what the immediate benefits are to Senator Akpabio who is not known to embrace patriotism in matters such as this, but a source close to a Media aide alleged that the Senator may have raked in a sum of N1.5 billion, out of which he gave N150 million to the State Working Committee (SWC) of APC in Akwa Ibom.

Senator Akpabio was said to have instructed the SWC to communicate its decision to “drop him” to the National Working Committee (NWC) on the sole ground that he is on “national assignment.”

“A letter to this effect is ready and shall be delivered by hand on Monday at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja. The SWC has also nominated Honourable Ekperikpe Ekpo, a two-time Member of the House of Representatives in his stead,” a source said.

“Senator Akpabio’s knack for brinkmanship is legendary and his proclivity for fouling the law is embarrassing.

“It is yet to be seen how the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State will pull through and surmount the legal hurdles on his way.

“A possible win at the rerun would have afforded Senator Akpabio an opportunity to place a seal of authority over his immediate home base which is fast being eroded by the likes of Prince Ukpong Akpabio, his nephew and life-long aide and currently Commissioner for Investment in Akwa Ibom State. It would have also been an opportunity to authoritatively pass a message of loyalty to the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari, whose election was held at the same time with the one in which a rerun has been ordered.

“An unavoidable inference to be drawn is that Senator Akpabio could not ensure a win for President Buhari in his home base nay Akwa Ibom State. What then is the motivation for holding unto a Ministerial seat when the fortunes of the party has dwindled with the aftermath of the Court of Appeal decisions in some Senatorial Districts.

“A Senatorial seat from Akwa Ibom State would have provided a clear majority in the Senate in support of President Buhari’s agenda,” a chieftain of the APC in Akwa Ibom, who is sympathetic to the governorship candidate, Nsima Ekere said.

At the time of writing this report, information has it that the Senator was in a closed door meeting with Party officers in his country home and calls to his Chief Press Secretary to confirm this report have yielded no responses.