Over 500 stakeholders, political leaders and party executives from Senator Godswill Akpabio’s local government, Essien Udim, have accused the former governor of unleashing violence and terror on them during the last governorship and State Assembly elections in the State.
The stakeholders led by Prince Ukpong Akpabio(Cousin to Senator Akpabio) in a world press conference held at the NUJ secretariat Uyo on Thursday, alleged that the senator masterminded and executed the militarization of the electoral process witnessed in the area.
A communique signed by the stakeholders and leaders and read by Barr Imo-Owo Okpokpo reads, “Essien Udim people condemned in strong terms the various electoral offenses and irregularities masterminded and perpetrated by Senator Godswill Akpabio and his cohorts in which almost all the election process in the area was marred by unlawful militarization, rigging and assault on INEC electoral officers.
”Among the atrocities committed by Senator Godswill Akpabio include carting away of electoral materials and INEC ad hoc staff in all the units of the 11 wards in the area, with the help of military men with armoured vehicles to the residence of Barr Ibanga Akpabio.”
They claimed that one Supol Idorenyin Akpabio of SARS in company of other policemen shot at people indiscriminately, detained and maimed PDP supporters on the directives of Sen Akpabio.
They further claimed that, “Senator Godswill Akpabio with his cohorts apart from assaulting INEC staff also beat and machete some PDP faithful to the point of unconsciousness”.
The stakeholders and leaders of Essien Udim maintained that in units where elections were not duly conducted, PDP won overwhelmingly and they have their result sheets intact describing any other result as fake and do not represent the votes of the electorates of Essien udim local government area.
They rejected the published results so far released by INEC in the state and equally condemned the cancellation of results in nine wards in the council area.
Essien Udim people used the forum to admonish Senator Godswill Akpabio to desist from further advertising of “his declining and dwindling political status through various press interviews as such will continue to deepen his failing image. We have totally rejected him as a people”.
They commiserated with the Corps members and other INEC staff who lost valuable items as a result of the allege mayhem ”perpetrated by Senator Godswill Akpabio,” stressing that Akpabio is still bent on killing some PDP stakeholders even as the elections are over.
They restated their hope on INEC’s capacity to correct as well as address the election anomalies with her avowed commitment to conduct a free, fair and credible elections in the country.
However, in a previous press conference held by Senator Akpabio, he alleged that the violence witnessed in Essien Udim during the elections was perpetrated by members of the PDP.
He insisted that APC won overwhelmingly in his local government and other local governments but the INEC in collusion with the PDP-led state government upturned the results against his party, APC.
Akpabio said he has facts and evidences to back his claims at the tribunal when the time comes.
