The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has denied the allegation that he bribed the chairman of the state’s election petitions tribunal, Justice W.O. Akanbi with $1.5 million (about N540 million) to influence judgment in favour of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker from Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, Mr. Chris Ekpenyong, in the petition filed by Mr. Godswill Akpabio of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A lawyer in the state, Mr. Leo Ekpenyong who made the allegation in an interview with a newspaper in Uyo had accused the governor of offering the bribe to bend the course of justice in favour of the PDP senator.
“Justice W. O. Akanbi, who many thought was a righteous judge, has received a whopping $1.5million from governor Udom Emmanuel and has recruited one Justice Ebetu, another judge from Bayelsa State to join in the justice-for-sale scam.
“Akanbi has clearly jettisoned justice in preference for governor Udom’s Greek gift, since, according to him, he (Akanbi) has only two years to retire,” he said.
Responding, the governor through the state’s attorney general and commissioner for justice, Mr. Uwemedimo Nwoko described the allegation as false and asked Leo to substantiate his allegation with fact or face legal action.
Nwoko, who in a statement described Leo as a “serial blackmailer” recalled that he had in time past blackmailed Akpabio to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices (and other related offences) Commission (ICPC), adding that “Akpabio succumbed to his blackmail and paid him handsomely.”
He threatened that should Leo fail to back his allegation against the governor with evidence and publish same in at least three reputable national newspapers within seven days of this publication “we shall be left with no option but to deploy the full weight of the law, both civil and criminal, against him.”
“We state most categorically and without any equivocation that there is absolutely no scintilla of truth in Leo Ekpenyong’s wild and unsubstantiable allegations. His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel does not know and has never met Honourable Justice Akanbi or any other Judge on the Panel.
“His Excellency, has made no personal contact or through a proxy with any of the Judges, It is, therefore, most uncharitable and unconscionable for Leo Ekpenyong and his pay masters to attempt to rubbish and bring to disrepute the sterling reputation and character of Governor Emmanuel.
“Barrister Leo Ekpenyong is known to be a serial blackmailer. He was known to be the mastermind of all the petitions against Chief Godswill Akpabio, the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and now Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to the EFCC and ICPC until Akpabio succumbed to his blackmail and handsomely paid him to recapitulate.
“Let us state emphatically here that Leo Ekpenyong has taken his trade of blackmail across redlines. We demand that Leo Ekpenyong should produce the factual evidence to establish his allegations against His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel within seven (7) days of this publication and publish same in at least three (3) reputable national newspapers. If he fails to do so, we shall be left with no option but to deploy the full weight of the law, both civil and criminal, against him,” said Nwoko.
