Tribunal: Akwa Ibom State govt refutes $1.5m bribery allegation against Gov Emmanuel

The Akwa Ibom state government has debunked allegation that
Governor Udom Emmanuel paid $1.5million to justice A. M. Yakubu,
the presiding judge for the Akwa Ibom governorship election
petitions tribunal.

In a statement, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner
for Justice, Barr. Uwemedimoh Nwoko, states the allegation raised
by one Leo Ekpenyong against the governor and the tribunal judge,
was false and unsubstantial.

The state government says Governor Udom Emmanuel has not had any
contact directly or through a proxy, with the tribunal judges since
they were appointed.

Part of the statement reads.

“We state most categorically and without any equivocation that
there is absolutely no scintilla of truth in Leo Ekpenyong’s wild
and unsubstantiated allegations.

“His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel does not know and has
never met Honourable J justice A. M. Yakubu or any other Judge on
the Panel. His Excellency has made no personal contact or through a
proxy with any of the Judges.”

“It is most uncharitable and unconscionable for Leo Ekpenyong
and his paymasters to attempt to rubbish and bring to disrepute the
sterling reputation and character of Governor Emmanuel.”

“Let us equally state here that it is not only morally
reprehensible but also legally culpable for Leo Ekpenyong to so
unconscionably attack the name and character of innocent Judges who
accepted to serve the nation in a critical national
assignment.”

“Barrister Leo Ekpenyong is known to be a serial blackmailer. He
was known to be the mastermind of all the petitions against Chief
Godswill Akpabio, the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and now
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to the EFCC and ICPC until Akpabio
succumbed to his blackmail and handsomely paid him to
recapitulate.”

Meanwhile, the state government has challenged Leo Ekpenyong to
publish factual evidence to buttress his allegation, else it will
institute legal actions against him at the expiration of seven
days.

Read the full statement below:

RE: JUDGEMENT FOR SALE IN AKWA IBOM STATE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS PETITION TRIBUNAL

The attention of the Akwa Ibom State Government has been drawn
to a publication by one Barrister Leo Ekpenyong in the Metro Daily
Newspaper of August 25, 2019, which was also widely circulated
across social media platforms. In the said publication, the writer
made wild and insidious allegations against the Governor of Akwa
Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel. To be specific, Leo Ekpenyong, Esq.
wrote, inter alia,

“… Justice W. O. Akanbi who many thoughts were a righteous judge
has received a whopping $1.5m (US dollars) from Governor Udom
Emmanuel and has recruited Justice Ebetu, another member of the
Tribunal from Bayelsa to join in the judgment for sale scam”.

“…Akanbi has clearly jettisoned justice in preference for
Governor Udom’s sordid money and Greek gift since according to him
he has just two years before retirement. He further told our
informant that even if he were to spend 10 more years on the bench,
his emoluments would not be compared to Governor Udom’s bribe money
to pervert the course of justice”.

We state most categorically and without any equivocation that
there is absolutely no scintilla of truth in Leo Ekpenyong’s wild
and unsubstantiated allegations. His Excellency, Governor Udom
Emmanuel does not know and has never met Honourable Justice Akanbi
or any other Judge on the Panel. His Excellency has made no
personal contact or through a proxy with any of the Judges.

It is, therefore, most uncharitable and unconscionable for Leo
Ekpenyong and his paymasters to attempt to rubbish and bring to
disrepute the sterling reputation and character of Governor
Emmanuel.

Let us equally state here that it is not only morally
reprehensible but also legally culpable for Leo Ekpenyong to so
unconscionably attack the name and character of innocent Judges who
accepted to serve the nation in a critical national assignment.

Barrister Leo Ekpenyong is known to be a serial blackmailer. He
was known to be the mastermind of all the petitions against Chief
Godswill Akpabio, the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and now
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to the EFCC and ICPC until Akpabio
succumbed to his blackmail and handsomely paid him to
recapitulate.

Let us state emphatically here that Leo Ekpenyong has taken his
trade of blackmail across redlines. We demand that Leo Ekpenyong
should produce the factual evidence to establish his allegations
against His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel within Seven (7)
days of this publication and publish same in at least three (3)
reputable National Newspapers. If he fails to do so, we shall be
left with no option but to deploy the full weight of the law, both
civil and criminal, against him.

Leo Ekpenyong may be well guided to note that this is not a
threat.

UWEMEDIMO NWOKO, ESQ.

Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for
Justice

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