Akpabio was governor by accident, says senator who defeated him

By Toby Prince

Newly-elected senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West, Chris Ekpenyong, has described predecessor Godswill Akpabio as an accidental governor.

Ekpenyong defeated Akpabio in last Saturday’s senatorial rerun in Akwa Ibom to return to the National Assembly.

But the lawmaker, who was deputy governor to Obong Victor Attah said Mr Akpabio became governor in the first place owing to the porous electoral process.

“He went to the Court of Appeal, and on the 9th of November, Court of Appeal granted him a prayer he never sought for by asking that we should go for a rerun in his local government area which he inflicted mayhem on the people,” he said.

“When I was a deputy governor, he (Akpabio) was my commissioner. The fact that he became a governor was by accident because of our electoral process that is porous and thank God, I have come to meet the discussion on the Electoral Act amendment because I am going to contribute,” he said.

“If he was investing, go to Akwa Ibom, there is nothing. When you talk of uncommon, what is uncommon or because he is uncommon failure?”

Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now.