“I Didn’t Lose, The Results Will Be Corrected” — Akpabio

Tobi Aworinde, Abuja

Former Senate Minority
Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has promised to challenge his loss in
the February 23 National Assembly elections.

The Independent
National Electoral Commission, on Tuesday, had declared Dr. Chris
Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party as winner of the senatorial
election in the Ikot-Ekpene Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State.

According
to the result declared by the INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Peter
Ogbang, Ekpenyong, who is a former deputy governor, scored 118,215 votes
to defeat the incumbent senator, Akpabio of the All Progressives
Congress, who secured 83,158 votes.

The result was announced at the INEC headquarters in Uyo instead of Ikot-Ekpene because of alleged security threats in the area.

But
Akpabio, who spoke on The Verdict, a live programme of Channels
Television, on Wednesday, vowed to challenge the collation of the
results, adding that he could not lose the election.

The senator
said, “I won. It’s a temporary setback. That is why there are processes.
For instance, if you feel that you were cheated or there was wrong
collation, you have recourse to the courts. I did not fail; I can’t
fail.

“I believe strongly that there must have been some wrong
collation somewhere. Those things will be corrected. We have processes
in the election. It’s from one stage; we have to do registration, vote
and collate.

“As far as there is a mistake anywhere, you go to
the court and get your mandate. My mandate is somewhere waiting for me.
My people know that I can’t fail elections.”

Source:- Punchng