EXCLUSIVE! Akpabio At It Again, Plots To Blackmail Akwa Ibom Tribunal Chairman, Justice Akanbi, Other Members

…WHY NIGERIANS SHOULD IGNORE HIS SHAMEFUL ANTICS




By Funmi Akinbolu

Exclusive details now at our disposal indicate that the defeated former Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District; Godswill Akpabio is plotting a major offensive against the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Akwa Ibom State.


A source who attended one of his nocturnal meetings held last night, revealed that Akpabio and his ilks have perfected plot to blackmail the Chairman and members of the Election Tribunal overseeing his case against the duly elected Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West, Chris Ekpeyong with unsubstantiated claims that the Tribunal Chairmen, Justice A. W. Akanbi has been financially induced to give favourable ruling to Senator Ekpeyong.

The source said a petition is set to be forwarded to the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, accusing the Tribunal chairman of collecting huge sums of money in dollars for distribution to other members of the tribunal.

The source said; “Akpabio’s case at the Tribunal was dead on arrival as he could not establish how the votes he claims to have won were gotten. Added to this, is the fact that all his witnesses fumbled and embarrassed themselves with laughable and contradictory testimonies.

“Faced with the prospects that his case is weak and legally impossible to surmount, Akpabio has resorted to his usual antics: blackmail and besmirch the character and integrity of the Honourable Chairman of the Tribunal and other members with the ridiculous story that they have collected bribes and other financial inducements.

“Akpabio is said to have concluded plans to report the Tribunal Chairman, Justice A. W. Akanbi to the President of the Court of Appeal, the EFCC and the Attorney General of the Federation all in an attempt to blackmail and tarnish their sterling character of the Tribunal Chairman and other members.”

The source also quoted a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to have complained at the meeting that the party should rather do its self appraisal and move forward instead of chasing shadows.

“Nigerians should tell Akpabio to stop these hideous tendencies. He should allow the Honourable Justices to do their job and allow the judicial process to take its course.

“It is the height of desperation for a man who has been rewarded at different positions of authority and responsibility to constantly invoke the instrument of blackmail to tarnish people’s hard-earned reputation, each time he feels he is not getting his way in a given issue.

“The Tribunal Chairmen and his members are doing their job, their integrity and character should not be attacked by Akpabio and his cohorts. Enough of this desperation”, the quoted the APC chieftain to have said.