The attention of the Senate Minority Leader, Senator
Godswill Akpabio has been drawn to a sensational story making the rounds in the
social media and circulated by the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) with a screaming headline: "Breaking News!
2015 A'Ibom polls: Fear grips Akpabio over arrest of Supreme Court
Justices."
The story in its entirety is spurious, baseless, false
and the figment of the imagination of mischief makers who concocted it. Their
frantic and desperate attempt to link Senator Akpabio with the saga is to
tarnish his image in their continuing pull-him-down syndrome, which has
increased in intensity since the party lost Akwa Ibom State.
For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state most
emphatically that Senator Akpabio is in no way involved in the alleged bribery
of Supreme Court judges and so has no reason whatsoever to be scared over the
arrest of the Judges. He has had no contact with any Judge with the intention
of bribing them.
In the last few years, Senator Akpabio's only contact
with Supreme Court Justices was on December 13, 2015 when as the Vice-Chairman
of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters the
members, led by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator David Umaru paid a courtesy
visit to the Chief Justice of the Federation and other Supreme Court Justices.
After the event which was widely reported the Supreme Court Justices and
members of the committee took group photographs.
Senator Akpabio as a democrat believes in the sanctity of
the electoral process and so has not been involved in bribing any Judge as it
is not in his character to do so. His
election as a Senator which was seen as a no contest after a sterling
performance as Governor of Akwa Ibom State was widely held as free and fair.
Senator Akpabio like many other Nigerians learnt of the
news of the arrest of the Judges/ Justices on Saturday while he was in Irrua,
Edo State when he along with the Senate President and other Senators attended
the wedding of the daughter of their colleague, Senator Clifford Ordia.
It is most disingenuous and reprehensible for Akwa Ibom
State APC to attempt to link Senator Akpabio to something he has no knowledge
of and impute he was gripped with fear when he was busy celebrating with his
colleague on the marriage of his daughter in Irrua, Esan Central Local
Government of Edo State.
We condemn it in very strong terms and advice those whose
stock in trade and preoccupation is to link Senator Akpabio to every
ignominious scheme to desist from such pull-him-down syndrome. It is however
sad that Akwa Ibom State APC, rather than wait for the investigation to take
its course, have already condemned their son, Justice Inyang Okoro and
celebrate his present ordeal.
Senator Akpabio will explore available legal remedies to
protect his hard earned reputation from being dragged into the mud by political
mischief makers. Distinguished Senator Akpabio however cautions all political
players to take actions that will sustain democracy and not actions that imperil
our hard earned democracy.
Anietie Ekong
Special Asistant (Media) to the
Senate Minority Leader.
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