Akpabio Accuses Mike Igini Of Manipulating The Election To Rob Him Of Victory

LAGOS JUNE 10TH (NEWSRANGERS)-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”.
-The Nigerian Lawyers

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