A retired deputy inspector general of police, Mr. Udom Ekpoudom, has said that the June 9 primary poll which produced the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godswill Akpabio as the candidate of Akwa Ibom northwest (Ikot Ekpene) senatorial zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was a sham.
Ekpoudom, who is laying claim to the senatorial ticket of the area vowed not to let it slip through his fingers.
He said under no circumstance would he relinquish, withdraw or be substituted “no matter the degree of pressure and inducement dangled by anyone.”
Recall that the primary conducted by a faction of the APC on May 27 produced Ekpoudom as winner of the senatorial zone.
After losing his presidential bid, Akpabio was last Thursday nominated as senatorial candidate of party for the area at the primary endorsed by the Stephen Ntukekpo-led leadership of APC in the state.
Ekpoudom in a statement signed by the director general of his campaign organisation, Mr. Uwem Udom, secretary general, Mr. Godwin Etokakpan and spokesman, Mr. Peter Udiong described the June 9, 2022 midnight primary that produced Akpabio as a “scam that is unconstitutional, deceitful and legally defective.”
“Recall that Ekpoudom duly participated in the Akwa Ibom North West APC Senatorial primary election held on Friday, May 27, 2022, in line with the 2023 election timetable and Guideline of our Party.
“Succinctly, the primary election was properly monitored by INEC as constitutionally required and Ekpoudom was declared winner and the party’s flag bearer.
“Sequel to the aforementioned, we want to state categorically and without any ambiguity, that at no time did our party, the APC put our candidate, on notice of any cancellation of the Primary election or that of conducting another senatorial primary for the Akwa Ibom northwest senatorial seat.
“We want to put it on record that the Mandate given to Udom Ekpoudom by the good people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District remains sacrosanct and is judiciously guarded and protected.
“We hereby assure our party men and women and the good people of the Senatorial district that DIG Udom Udo Ekpoudom (Rtd), will under no circumstance, relinquish, withdraw or be substituted no matter the degree of pressure and inducement dangled by anyone.
“He believes in the mandate, and in the mandate, he shall stand to provide leadership and accelerate development for the Senatorial district.
“Most importantly, the purported “scam election’ held on Thursday, 9th June, 2022 at the Skills acquisition centre in Ikot Ekpene is nothing but illegal, deceitful, unconstitutional, and legally defective,” the statement said in part.
Reacting, Akpabio said in a statement issued by his spokesman, Mr. Jackson Udom, that the primary in which the former police chief purportedly won was not known to law and INEC.
Hence, he said Ekpoudom could not have won the party’s ticket.
“We have also read of how a self acclaimed ‘party member’ deputy inspector general of police (DIG), Udom Ekpoudom (rtd), is laying claim to the senatorial ticket of the district, when he never took part in both the cancelled primary and the reordered primary.
“At the fresh primary, DIG Udom Ekpoudom (rtd), Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Engineer Joseph Akpan, all took part in the election. However, before the commencement of voting, Hon Ekpo, who won the cancelled election, voluntarily stepped down for Senator Akpabio.
“He there and then, called on all his supporters to cast their votes for Senator Akpabio. The reordered primary took place on the 9th of June, 2022, at the Skill Acquisition Centre, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.
“At the end of the election, Senator Akpabio, was declared winner and returned as duly elected candidate for the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District on the APC platform.
“We therefore, advise DIG Udom Ekpoudom (rtd), to channel his annoyance of being placed on the off-side track of politics in the district, on the illegal contraption led by Austin Ekanem and not pollute the media space with falsehood of a non existing senatorial ticket, not being for sale. Nobody will buy a fake, illegal and non existing ticket,” Akpabio said.
