Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement (AILM), a foremost socio-political group in Akwa Ibom state says Senator Godswill Akpabio Minister of Niger Delta Affairs cannot win a rerun election in his senatorial district even if it is conducted a tenth time.

The group in a statement by its Secretary General, Barr. Solomon Abasiekong in reaction to the nullification of the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district election by the Court of Appeal said Senator Akpabio and his party, All Progressives Congress know that they do not have enough grassroots support to win the rerun.

The Court of Appeal in Calabar on Saturday 9th November 2019 ordered a rerun for the senatorial election in Essien Udim, one of the 10 local government areas in Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district.

Akpabio who was defeated in the senatorial election with about 36,000 to Engr. Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor of the state, prayed the court to nullify the election.

AILM says Akpabio and the APC were celebrating the nullification of the election in Essien Udim local government half-heartedly because they will not win the rerun.

"The losers in the election are half-heartedly celebrating the judgment of the Appeal Court ordering a rerun because the APC and its candidate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, know full well that it does not have the grassroots support to win the election even if it were to be conducted a tenth time", the group says.

The group challenged Senator Akpabio to prove his political worth in the rerun if he truly won the election, added that the nullification of the election by the Appeal Court has vindicated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and further confirmed reports by obversers that election in Essien Udim, Akpabio's local government was marred by violence and irregularities.

AILM has called on the people of Essien Udim local government area to defend the mandate it freely gave to Engr. Chris Ekpenyong and the PDP during the rerun.

AKWA IBOM LIBERATION MOVEMENT (AILM)
Motto: Together we shall liberate Akwa Abasi Ibom State
November 11, 2019

PRESS STATEMENT

SENATOR GODSWILL AKPABIO SHOULD PROVE HIS ELECTORAL WORTH

1. The Court of Appeal judgment on the Ikot Ekpene senatorial district election ordering a rerun in Essien Udim local government area, one of the 10 (ten) local government areas in that senatorial district has caused some mixed feelings within Akwa Ibom state; and particularly among the people of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district.

2. The nullification of the election in Essien Udim, the home local government of Senator Godswill Akpabio, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the Ikot Ekpene senatorial district election is a broad chorus which has further brought to limelight the massive irregularities that marred the processes that produced the result which the APC and Senator Godswill Akpabio held strongly to and challenged the authentic winner of the senatorial election, Senator Chris Ekpenyong.

3. The Ikot Ekpene senatorial district election was marred by massive rigging, thuggery, snatching of ballot boxes and other election materials as well as violent attack on electoral officers and observers. These malpractices were widely reported by the domestic and international observers who covered the election. These cases pointed to one thing, that the candidates of APC did not have what it takes to win the election.

4. The nullification of the senatorial district election in Essien Udim local government area has vindicated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which cancelled the results of the election in some wards in the local government area due to widespread malpractices.

5. The losers of the election are half-heartedly celebrating the judgment of the Appeal Court ordering a rerun because the APC and its candidate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, know full well that it does not have the grassroots support to win the election even if it were to be conducted a tenth time.

6. We challenge Senator Akpabio to prove his electoral worth beyond rhetoric and self-delusion in the forthcoming rerun. This time around, Akpabio will not be able to deploy his armed thugs dressed as state security forces to intimidate and molest voters or electoral officers because the whole world will be watching.

7. We are aware that Akpabio is lobbying the presidency to see that the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Mike Igini, whom he has always seen as his albatross is redeployed from Akwa Ibom State before the rerun. Such redeployment would be undemocratic, corrupt and unlawful.

8. As a group that firmly believes in the power of the masses, we encourage the people of Essien Udim and Ikot Ekpene senatorial district to defend the mandate they freely gave to Engr. Chris Ekpenyong during the rerun scheduled to hold in the next three months.

Signed:

Solomon Abasiekong Esq.
Acting Secretary General

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