Immediate past lawmaker representing Akwa Ibom Northwest
senatorial district, Senator Godswill Akpabio has assured that God
will soon expose those who fraudulently orchestrated his loss in
the last National Assembly election.
Akpabio specifically said the Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral
Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini manipulated the election to rob him of
the votes his constituents gave him, adding that ”Igini is the most
compromised electoral officer in Nigeria and should not be allowed
to hold public office”.
The former governor spoke at the weekend in Ukana, Essien Udim
local government area of the state while empowering 1,200
beneficiaries with N100,000 each as well as school bags and starter
packs to thousands of school children to mark the end of his tenure
in the Senate.
He insisted that he did not lose the election, and urged his
people not to be dismayed by the temporary setback.
He added that the ‘evil manipulation’ by Igini and his cohorts
are being exposed as seen evidence in the arrest of some persons
with card readers and other election materials.
”Please nobody should have any headache, nobody should cry
because there is no need. You know your senator cannot lose
election because we were all there.
”But many of them thought they can go and write whatever they
like and even cancel what you won. I have never in my life
experienced a resident electoral commissioner like Mike Igini and
my message to him is that his hypocrisy will be exposed.
”There is no way you can come into Akwa Ibom and commit that
kind of electoral fraud you committed then you go back to Channels
Television and sit down and talk as if you are a pope.
”One day the world will know you and very soon the world will
know you. All the materials we are recovering everyday will expose
you.
”Just yesterday(Friday), the police arrested people carrying
materials from where they voted and were trying to sneak into INEC.
The other day, they arrested someone with card readers. He was
frantically calling and trying to say that they were used for
training three months after election so that they will continue to
manipulate”, he said.
Akpabio further said that he intends to join President Muhammadu
Buhari to sanitize the nation’s electoral system so that the likes
of Mike Igini will not stop the votes of Nigerians from
counting.
”For me, it is important as a former governor and elder
statesman to join the President to sanitize the electoral process
so that we will ensure that votes count in future elections.
”There is no need for Nigeria to continue taking one step
forward and five steps backward”, Akpabio maintained.
In his response the INEC REC in the state, Mr. Mike Igini said
in a telephone interview with our correspondent that Akpabio was
making noise to attract Buhari’s attention for a possible federal
appointment.
Igini said Section 131 of the Electoral Act excludes him and
other officers of the commission from being listed as respondents
in post election litigations.
”Akpabio must sustain the noise to attract the attention of
Abuja for possible consideration for an appointment. The tribunal
stated very clearly that Section 137 excludes my office and other
officers of the commission from being listed as respondents”.
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Abdulrahaman
abdulrazak
Gov. AbdulRazaq Harps on Campaign Promises, Condoles
with THISDAY MD
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has said he is
determined to deliver his campaign promises to the people.
AbdulRazaq said he is well of the high expectations of the
people and is resolved to work for the people, especially in road
construction and other social infrastructure.
“The state of our roads (in Kwara) is disappointing. This is
particularly true of Kwara North. There is no road, for instance,
to Gwanara especially now that it is raining and yet the contractor
handling it is collecting money. That was why the previous
administration was stoned (in Gwanara). We don’t want to be
stoned,” AbdulRazaq said at the weekend at a meeting with top
officials of the Kwara State Road Maintenance Agency in Ilorin, the
state capital.
AbdulRazaq was referring to the attacks on the convoy of former
Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed
in Gwanara town where locals protested their decrepit road that had
long been awarded but left undone.
He said the contractors would only be asked to go if they fail
to deliver on the administration’s development agenda and
timeline.
“Kwara people have woken up and if I don’t fix the road, they
will protest. So we will sit with the contractors. We are not
sacking or removing them. We want to be proactive so they can do
their job,” he said.
AbdulRazaq deplored the condition of roads in the state, saying
the new administration would partner with the National Assembly and
the Federal Government on how to quickly fix them.
AbdulRazaq directed the Ministry of Works to compile the list of
roads that are in bad state so that the government can work out
funding options for their rehabilitation.
He said there’s the need to move quickly to fix the potholes on
the road.
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Kwara Gov condoles with THISDAY MD over wife’s death
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Sunday
commiserated with the THISDAY Managing Director Eniola Bello over
the death of his wife, Helen.
“I pray the Almighty God to give the family the fortitude to
bear this sad loss. We stand by your family in this trying hour and
we pray the Almighty God to continue to comfort you,” according to
a statement by AbdulRazaq’s Chief Press Secretary,
Rafiu Ajakaye.
The statement described the death as very painful, adding that
the governor “joins the entire nation and the media community to
mourn her.”
The governor urged the top journalist and the family to take
solace in the fact that Mrs Eniola-Bello left a legacy of being a
supportive wife and mother who was committed to good family
value.
“As mortals, we are pencils in the hand of our Creator. As
people of faith, we are to resign ourselves to God’s designs for
our lives,” the statement added.
Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor