2023: Akpabio speaks on his victory at Supreme Court

A day after winning a major political victory through the court, former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio says he has forgiven those behind his political travails.

Mr Akpabio stated this on Sunday at a thanksgiving mass at St. Lucy Catholic Church in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

The  mass was organised to celebrate the Supreme Court judgment which affirmed Mr Akpabio as the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC)  for Akwa Ibom North-west District.

Mr Akpabio and a retired deputy inspector general of police, Udom Ekpoudom, had engaged in a protracted battle over who is the rightful candidate of the APC for the district.

Mr Ekpoudom won the initial primary election of the party monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

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Mr Akpabio initially declared interest in becoming president but later stepped down for Bola Tinubu in the middle of the APC presidential primary in June last year.

Thereafter, a faction of the APC in Akwa Ibom State organised another senatorial primary in Akwa Ibom North-west. Mr Akpabio was announced winner of that contest.

The APC national headquarters forwarded Mr Akpabio’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the senatorial candidate for the district but the Commission rejected it on the grounds it did not monitor the primary as stipulated by the electoral act.

Mr Akpabio challenged INEC’s decision at the Federal High Court and got a judgment in his favour – the electoral body was ordered to list the former minister’s name as the rightful candidate for the senatorial district.

READ ALSO: Governor Emmanuel denies ‘face-off’ with Akpabio

His rival, Mr Ekpoudom headed to the Court of Appeal which upturned the judgment of the lower court.

Dissatisfied with the appellate court’s verdict, Mr Akpabio appealed to the Supreme Court which on Friday gave judgment in his favour.

‘I’ve forgiven all’

Speaking on his political travail, the former governor of Akwa Ibom said he bore no grudge against anyone over what he went through. “I have decided to forgive all,” he said.

Mr Akpabio’s comment at the church service was later posted on Facebook by his media aide, Jackson Udom.

Mr Akpabio, who was at the service with his wife, Unoma, and several of his supporters, thanked God for seeing him through in his quest to become the APC candidate.

He told the congregation that this was his second thanksgiving after the apex court judgment.

“I stand before you all today, to return thanks, honour and praises to God almighty for our victory at the Supreme Court. When all hopes appeared gone, our Lord came through for me and that is why I have come to return all thanks to Him because he alone is worthy to be praised.

“When the judgement was delivered on Friday, I left my house in Abuja to the church to thank Him for the victory. On my arrival today (Sunday) I decided to make God’s presence my first port of call, not for anything but to tell Him I am grateful for His favour and blessings to me,” Mr Akpabio said.

Mr Akpabio was elected senator in 2015 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He later defected to the APC in 2018, where he contested for a second term in 2019 but was defeated by the PDP candidate, Christopher Ekpenyong, who is a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State.

Mr Akpabio’s major rival in the senatorial election is his former political ally, Emmanuel Enoidem, who is the candidate of the PDP for the election.