Exclusive information at our disposal reveals that as the National Assembly election petition tribunal resumes to continue hearing the petition between former senator representing Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial district, Godswill Akpabio and the incumbent Senator Chris Ekpenyong, the former is again plotting to discredit the Justice A. W. Akanbi led panel.

A source who attended Akpabio's nocturnal meeting held last night, revealed that the desperate APC chieftain and his cohorts have perfected a plot to blackmail the Chairman, A. W. Akanbi and members of his panel with allegations that they have been financially induced to give favourable ruling to Senator Ekpenyong.

According to the source, “Akpabio is anxious that his case at the Tribunal was dead on arrival as he could not establish how the votes he claims to have won were gotten. Added to this, is the fact that all his witnesses during the hearing fumbled, giving contradictory testimonies.

Faced with the prospect that his case is weak and legally impossible to surmount, Akpabio has resorted to his usual antics: blackmail to besmirch the character and integrity of the Honourable Chairman of the Tribunal and other members with the baseless allegations that they have collected bribe and other financial inducements.

“At the meeting, Akpabio concluded plans to report the Tribunal Chairman, Justice A. W. Akanbi to the President of the Court of Appeal, the EFCC and the Attorney General of the Federation all in an attempt to blackmail and discredit the Tribunal Chairman and other members", our source revealed.

He maintained that this plot is not new as such Nigerians should ignore it when they finally bring it to the public domain as their claims are baseless and malicious.

“It is the height of desperation for a man who has been rewarded at different positions of authority and responsibility to constantly invoke the instrument of blackmail to tarnish people’s hard-earned reputation, each time he feels he is not getting his way in a given issue.

"The Tribunal Chairman and his members are doing their job, their integrity and character should not be attacked by Akpabio and his cohorts. Enough of this desperation”, the source concluded.