Senate President Godswill Akpabio has firmly denied any connection with the convicted Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officer, Prof. Peter Ogban.
He stated clearly that Ogban “never worked for him during the 2019 elections,” calling all related allegations “unfounded, spurious, malicious and intended to tarnish his image.”
Prof. Ogban was jailed for manipulating election results in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC). But Akpabio insists the narrative is twisted. He says he wasn’t a beneficiary, but rather “a victim of the fraudulent manipulation of the election of Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District held on Feb. 23, 2019.”
In a statement released by his Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Anietie Ekong, the Senate President reasserted his position:
“For the umpteenth time, just like I did when Senator Godswill Akpabio was the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, the claim that the jailed INEC Electoral Officer, Prof. Peter Ogban, was convicted for rigging election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is unfounded, spurious, malicious and intended to tarnish the image of the President of the Senate.
“Contrarily, Akpabio was a victim of the fraudulent manipulation of the election of Akwa Ibom North- West Senatorial District held on Feb. 23, 2019.
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“He is vindicated that the perpetrators of the electoral fraud are being brought to justice, at last the chickens are coming home to roost.
“In due time, we believe all the conspirators will be brought to justice as Ogban, either through the judiciary or divine intervention,” he said.
“Akpabio had since moved on to become the Senate President and would not be distracted by baseless and unfounded reports by hatchet men and mischief makers.”
Akpabio’s position is clear: he won’t let old claims derail his current role, and he expects justice to catch up with everyone involved.