How Akpabio ‘deceived’ Nigerians on his senatorial ambition

On Thursday, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godswill Akpabio, clinched the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for Akwa Ibom North West Constituency in the 2023 elections.

The former minister represented the constituency between 2015 and 2019, but he lost his reelection in 2019.

• Akpabio clinches APC senate ticket
• Fayemi, Akpabio, Amosun, 4 other aspirants step down for Tinubu

Shortly after, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him into his cabinet, a move seen as a compensation for Akpabio, who had defected to the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he served as two-term governor of Akwa Ibom.

In the buildup to the 2023 elections, Akpabio resigned from the Buhari administration and obtained the N100 million expression of interest and nomination forms.

Last month, there were reports that he had obtained senatorial form as a backup in the event that his presidential ambition hit the rock.

But the former minister denied this and accused the newspaper which exposed the development of spreading falsehood.

“The rumour making the rounds that I have withdrawn from the Presidential race is indeed laughable. I have not withdrawn, neither have I obtained any Senatorial Nomination form, as published by a newspaper today. I am very much in this race and I am in it, to WIN.

“Rumours of my purported withdrawal are signs of fear of my person in the race. I have not withdrawn, I will not withdraw. I will win this race and be sworn in as your next President, by God’s grace, in 2023,” Akpabio had said in a post on his verified Facebook post.

But he alongside six others stepped down for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at the just concluded presidential primary of the ruling party.

Two days after this, Akpabio clinched the senatorial ticket after defeating DIG Ekpo Udom (rtd) who won the senatorial primary conducted when Akpabio was involved in presidential campaign.

The State APC Chairman, Mr Stephen Ntukekpo, said he was directed by the party at the national level to carry out a re-run over alleged infractions.

According to the result of the rerun senatorial primary election, Akapbio emerged winner with 478 votes, while Udom secured just three votes.

Speaking shortly after he was declared winner of the exercise, which held at  Godswill Akpabio Empowerment Centre, Ikot Ekpene, Akpabio said, “I thank the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district for finding me worthy to be given another opportunity to represent you in the Nigerian Senate. I recall when you gave me the first mandate in 2015 to 2019, I recall that there is no Senator ever that did the kind of empowerment I did for you.

“I know a lot of projects were done across the ten local government areas, from markets to water projects, to electrification project, to building of classroom blocks.”