The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday informed the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal, sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state  that the figures being bandied by the APC in the Akwa Ibom North-west Senatorial district election,  Senator Godswill Akpabio were fake.
Akpabio, a petitioner who is challenging the victory of Senator Christopher Ekpenyong of the PDP, had claimed that he scored 61,329 votes in the election, but INEC says the figures were not from the commission.
Counsel to INEC, Robert Emukpoeruo told the court that Akpabio was parading a bogus result and there was no accreditation of voters at the unit he claimed to have voted.
“You did not apply for smart card reader and voters register reports because you know they do not support the bogus votes you parade for Essien Udim.”
The INEC lawyer also told the court how the embattled former governor visited war on the people of Essien Udim on the day of election. “I put it to you that you declared WARSAW on Essien Udim.”
Akpabio told the court that he has never lost election in his life since he contested for the  office of Governor  in 2007 and a reelection in 2011. He also said he contested and won the Senatorial seat in 2015 while still under the platform of the PDP, but regretted that his political woes started immediately he joined APC.
“I’ve contested election 4 times, since 2007. Out of this 4 times I have ran election on the platform of PDP 3 times. Those 3 times I contested the election I won the election. The only time I was denied victory was in 2019.” lamented Akpabio in court.
During cross examination by Counsel to the PDP, Solomon Umoh SAN,  Akpabio could not explain the contradiction between his earlier affidavit deposed at the Federal High  court in Abuja, where he claimed that he scored 65000 votes as against the 61,329 he now claimed.
However, on why his name and picture on the voter’s register was not ticked and signed to show accreditation, Akpabio said, “What you are saying is correct but this is not the voter’s register that was used on election day. I am a victim. It’s very painful that someone would collect money and talk anyhow.”