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A’Ibom Senatorial Ticket: It’s Absurd, Akpabio Likes Causing Confusion – Former DIG, Ekpoudom

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Former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udom Ekpoudom has said that it is absurd and intolerable that in recent times the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio likes to deprive people of their rights, and cause confusion and division anywhere he is.

Ekpoudom spoke to journalists over the weekend on the insistence of Akpabio, who is a former governor of the state, that he is the rightful Akwa Ibom North senatorial candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akpabio did not contest the senatorial primaries officially organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (NYSC) and witnessed by the Department of State Services (DSS), the police and other stakeholders as he was campaigning to be the President of Nigeria. However, there were media reports suggesting that he had also bought the senate nomination form in case he failed the presidential primaries. INEC has refused to recognise Akpabio’s version of the senatorial primary election.

Ekpoudom said he was very surprised when Akpabio ran back to the state when he surrendered to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the eventual APC presidential candidate, and began to struggle for the senatorial ticket which he (Ekpoudom) had won already.

“I thought he was joking. So, what I am trying to say is that Akpabio was not a contestant in the primary. We did the primary and the results were sent to Abuja and the Independent National Electoral Commission supervised the whole exercise, the Police, the DSS were there and the results were sent to Abuja. Three weeks later, he came from nowhere to become a senator. What he (Akpabio) is doing is absurd to Abak Federal Constituency.

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“He only wanted to cause confusion because he likes causing confusion these days. Instead of using what God has given to him; money, power, to build the state, he likes causing confusion,” he said.

“To buttress his assertion that Akpabio causes confusion, Ekpoudom further explained that when former APC national caretaker committee Secretary, Senator Akpan Udoedehe brought the APC to the state; it was supposed to be Udoedehe’s turn to contest the governorship position. Now is the turn of the Uyo Senatorial District in the state to produce a governor but Akpabio wants to bring someone from outside, and by doing that, trouble ensued.

READ ALSO: 2023: INEC Rejects Akpabio As APC Senatorial Candidate

“I am not happy because of that. It’s injustice. As if that was not enough, we conducted congresses in the state from the wards to the state level. He came and caused confusion. When the reports were sent to Abuja, on the way, the result was changed without knowing that INEC had their copy. Senator Akpabio was not a contestant for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in the primary.”

Reacting to Akpabio’s claim that the primaries conducted by INEC was cancelled due to security issues, Ekpoudom denied vehemently that there was a security threat.

“If the primary was cancelled, why didn’t they inform me? Nothing like that happened. INEC was there, the police were there, the DSS was there. There was nothing like a security issue. How would a retired police chief like me take part in an exercise and there would not be enough security? He just wanted to use that as an excuse,” he said.

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The former police boss insisted that he would not surrender the ticket he duly won to Akpabio.

“If I was in his shoes, I should be thanking my God that in a state like Akwa Ibom, where there are a lot of educated people, I have been able to achieve so much as commissioner, governor, Senator and a minister of the Federal Republic. But I think, he wants to misuse what God has given to him,” he said.

DAILY POST

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INEC Disowns LP’s National Convention

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has disowned Wednesday’s Labour Party‘s national convention held in Anambra.

The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said this in Abuja on Thursday.

Oyekanmi said that the conduct of the convention was not monitored by INEC, declining to state further why it was not monitored.

The LP had on Tuesday shifted the national convention from Umuahia in Abia to Nnewi, Anambra State.

Speaking on the venue change, the LP National Legal Adviser, Mr Kehinde Edun, told newsmen that the party had duly informed INEC about the change in venue and date.

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READ ALSO: [BREAKING] Edo Guber: Labour Party Aspirant Withdraws From Race, Cites Monetisation 

No, it is holding in Anambra. Nnewi, to be precise, not Umuahia in Abia State again. In fact, Umuahia was not even the first venue we chose. Benin was the first choice before we changed to Umuahia and now Nnewi.

“So, we are at liberty to pick any venue of our choice. We only need to inform INEC about the change in venue and the time,” Edun said.

Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 states that political parties shall give INEC at least 21 days’ notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting.

This includes the convention or meeting convened for “merger” and electing members of its executive committees and other governing bodies or nominating candidates.

(NAN)

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Labour Party Reserves 2027 Presidential Ticket For Peter Obi

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…Oti Gets automatic ticket for Abia Guber

The Labour Party’s highest decision making body, the National Convention, has announced it has reserved its 2027 ticket for the party’s leader, Mr. Peter Obi.

In the same breath, the party also announced a right of first refusal for the Abia State Governor, Alex Oti, should he decide to seek reelection on the party’s platform.

This decision was contained in a Communique issued after the party’s National Convention, held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday.

It was signed by the re-elected National Chairman of the party, Comrade Julius Abure, and National Secretary, Umar Faruk Ibrahim.

READ ALSO: Abure Re-elected Labour Party National Chairman; NLC Kicks

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The communique read in part: “The Convention in session based on the antecedents of the Presidential candidate before, during and after the 2023 General Election recommend that the 2027 Presidential ticket of the party be solely reserved for His Excellency, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, the National leader of the party.

“Furthermore, the Convention in session reviewed ongoing development and performance of its Governor in Abia state, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti and pass a vote of confidence on him and recommend the 2027 Abia state Gubernatorial ticket of the party be reserved for His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti.”

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Edo Guber: 17 Parties Beat INEC Deadline For Candidates’ Nomination

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Seventeen out of 18 political parties who conducted primaries for the forthcoming Edo State Governorship Election have beaten the deadline for the nomination of their candidates on the special portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja.

He said, “Following the conclusion of party primaries, 27 political parties have uploaded their candidates’ nomination forms for the Edo State Governorship Election by the deadline of 6 p.m. on March 24, 2024, when the dedicated portal automatically shut down.”

According to him, the personal particulars of the governorship candidates and their running mates will be published on Saturday, March 30, 2024, a week from the last date for the submission of nominations as provided in Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.

READ ALSO: Edo 2024: Igbinedion Breaks Silence On Obaseki’s Handling Of PDP, Party’s Choice Of Running Mate

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The Commission shall publish the personal particulars by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at the state headquarters and the 18 local government offices across Edo State.

“We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the documents. Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The Edo State Governorship Election is scheduled to hold on Saturday, September 21, 2024,” he stated.

 

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