The crisis rocking the purported nomination of the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial
District, in the 2023 polls continues as the retired Deputy Inspector General(DIG) of Police Udom Ekpoudom accused him of causing confusion for the party, The Trumpet gathered.
Speaking to newsmen in Uyo on Thursday, Udom Ekpoudom said he will never surrender his victory at the APC senatorial primary for Akwa Ibom North West District because Akpabio was not among the aspirants. Ekpoudom
explained that in 2014 , he had surrender the slot for Abak Federal Constituency to Akpabio and vowed never to do so again in 2023.
He said the rerun organized by Akpabio on 8th June, 2022, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had monitored the original primary of the APC in the Senatorial District on 27th May was a scam cooked by Akpabio to shortchange the people of the Constituency.
He said Akpabio’s name was not among the list of aspirants from Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District at the APC Secretariat who bought forms for senate seat in the area.
“The three aspirants that bought form for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District in APC we did everything including consultation, campaign and election was held which I won and Akpabio did not show up.”
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He said while the aspirants were busy with the procedure of the primary, Akpabio was campaigning for his presidential primary which he chickened out only to return to stampede them to retrieve the mandate
given to him by the party.
Ekpoudom disclosed that Akpabio called him after the APC presidential primary and offered him the Minister of
Police Affairs just to discourage him from his senatorial ambition.
“But I am not worried because the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) is armed with the electoral law. I am happy with the Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) in Akwa Ibom State. He is an upright man. I have never seen such a honest Nigerian like Mike Igini. So, I’m not worried. Akpabio cannot claim my mandate,” he said.
