The senatorial aspirant for Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot-Ekpene) in the 2019 general elections, Chief Inibehe Okori, had described the former Senate minority leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio as his junior in politics recalling that he defeated him in the 2015 general elections but was robbed of victory in favour of Akpabio.
He added that Akpabio was declared the winner with the help of the then federal security agencies.
Addressing Newsmen over the weekend in Uyo, Okori expressed confidence that he would win the forthcoming senatorial election.
His words, “Akpabio was declared the winner with the help of the federal security agencies. I don’t want to condemn anybody, you are all aware that I won the election in 2015, and I will win again in 2019.
“Akpabio was an underdog to me in 2015, except he was being helped by the security agencies of the federal government.We don’t need to forget history, I’m here for business.”
‘’I have confidence in the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, having delivered successful elections in Ekiti, Anambra and the by-elections in Cross River and others.’’
He also that it was the turn of the Abak 5, which made up of Abak, Etim Ekpo, Oruk-Onam and Ukanafun local government areas to produce the next senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
According to him, “the party is going to stand by the recommendations of the Committee set up by former chairman of the party, Ahmadu Attai which had zoned the seat to Abak5.
“You will recall that the former chairman of our party, Dr. Ahmadu Attai, set up a committee and that committee has recommended that it was the turn of Abak 5 to produce the next senator for the Akwa Ibom North West at the National Assembly.”
He maintained that aspirants for the senate position who are not from Abak federal constituency do not work for the progress of the party and the people as their quest undermined the rotation policy for the seat in the area
Inibehe further said that he was among the few who stood their ground against the PDP inorder to build and strenghten the APC at its formative stage in the state and promised to use his wealth of experience to build the capacity of his people if elected.
He added that it was yet to be seen whether Akpabio’s entry into the APC would benefit the party or not.
On complaints over the high cost of forms for aspirants in the party, Okori said, “it could be a strategy by the party to eliminate the unserious aspirants, I have no problems with it provided it is the decision of the party.”
