Ikot Ekpene SD 2023: Again, Etiebet disowns Akpabio, insists on Abak-5 for Senate
Following the recent ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigeria which affirmed the nomination of Senator Godswill Akpabio as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, a chieftain of APC, Chief Don Etiebet has disowned the party’s candidate insisting that Abak Federal Constituency will not vote for the APC candidate as he is not favoured by the zoning arrangement in the Senatorial District.
Senator Akpabio was challenging the ruling of Appeal Court which disqualified him as the APC candidate for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District and ordered INEC to recognize the the former DIG of Police, Chief Udom Ekpudom.
In a swift reaction to the ruling, Chief Don Etiebet, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress and a former Minister for Petroleum in an interview with a journalist in Uyo, Uduak Ikpatt he noted that despite the ruling of the supreme court, electorate from the zone will only vote for candidate from Abak Federal Constituency which is the only zone that has not produced a senator before in the Senatorial District.
Akpabio is from Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency which has produced senators for about five times while DIG Ekpudom is from Abak Federal Constituency.
In a swift reaction to the Supreme Court ruling, Etiebet said: “We, in the District do not accept the verdict because of the inherent inconsistencies in the run off to the primaries in our layman’s view but we fully respect the judgement having come from a court and the Supreme Court for that matter.
“”Although this point was not adduced in the Court, we from the Senatorial District have since resolved that it is the turn of Abak-5 Zone of the District and in particular, the Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency to produce the Senator this time around since all the other three Federal Constituencies in the Senatorial District have produced senators several times.
“”In deed, the Federal Constituency of Ikot Ekpene where Senator Godswill Akpabio comes from has produced five senators since 1960 or three senators since 1999 including Godswill Akpabio himself, whereas the Abak Federal Constituency has produced none since 1960. That is why we in the District unanimously nominated DIG Udom Ekpoudom Rtd from Etim Ekpo LGA of Abak Federal Constituency to contest under our great APC banner.
“”Senator Godswill Akpabio did not participate in that Senatorial Primary monitored by INEC but having failed in his Presidential bid he was pursuing at the time of the Senatorial Primary, he rushed back at a later date to have a nocturnal primary not monitored by INEC to declare himself as the senatorial candidate.
“”If Senator Godswill Akpabio has any feeling of comradeship, brotherliness and love for others except his inordinate inert political power mongering, he should have considered giving this Abak Federal Constituency which has not tested the senate since 1960 the chance to go unimpeded just like others from that Constituency who had surrendered for him for love and for the interest of the District. But now he wants to monopolize the position just like some African leaders who would rather stay put in their positions for selfish reasons if they could muzzle themselves through for life.
“”However, it is the resolve of the ABAK-5 Zone of the Senatorial District, where I come from, and its allies in Ikot Ekpene and Ini/Ikono Federal Constituencies to support any ABAK Federal Constituency Candidate to win the election. It is their turn and it is just,” Etiebet insisted.
