Akpabio Denies Benefiting From Election Fraud, Says He Was Actually a Victim

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has strongly denied allegations suggesting he benefited from electoral malpractice during the 2019 Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial election. According to The Nigerian Tribune, Akpabio, speaking through his former media aide, Aniete Ekong, dismissed the claims as “false, malicious,” and designed to tarnish his image.

Ekong explained that the conviction of Professor Peter Ogban, an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official, had nothing to do with rigging in Akpabio’s favour. “Ogban never declared Akpabio the winner. It is, therefore, mischievous to suggest that someone who invalidated Akpabio’s votes was working on his behalf,” Ekong stated.

Professor Ogban, who was a lecturer at the University of Calabar, was sentenced to three years in prison by an Akwa Ibom High Court for manipulating election results during the 2019 polls. However, Ekong clarified that Ogban’s actions negatively affected Akpabio by cancelling more than 61,000 votes from his stronghold, Essien Udim Local Government Area.

Ekong further noted that it was Akpabio who took legal action after being dissatisfied with the announced results. He appealed the decision up to the Court of Appeal, which eventually ordered a rerun in the affected area.

He argued that someone who truly benefitted from fraud would not have gone to such lengths to seek legal redress. Instead, he claimed Akpabio was the victim of the same electoral misconduct people accuse him of masterminding.

Ekong concluded by saying Akpabio has moved beyond the controversy and is now focused on delivering in his current role as Senate President, ignoring what he described as “baseless attacks from political mischief makers.”