Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and Senator-Elect for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Monday, reacted to a viral report that he had stepped aside from the race for the Presidency of the 10th Assembly, describing the tale as not only fake but a putrid concoction from the pit of hell.
The publication (not The Crest) had reported that the party hierarchy as well as Senate leader had pressured the two-term governor of Akwa Ibom State to step down as the position would be zoned to the South East geopolitical zone.
Quoting sources, the newspaper also said Akpabio had shown preference for, and had actually rejigged his intention to return to his plum position as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
But a statement issued by the his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Jackson Udom, rubbished all that, quoting the former Senate Minority Leader as describing the purported withdrawal from the Senate Presidency as a product of the warped imagination of professional blackmailers sponsored by devilish paymasters.
“Please tell them that the story is a complete falsehood and blackmail cooked and served from the pit of hell,” Akpabio was quoted as saying in the press release. “These tissues of lies lack substance and only exist in the minds of its purveyors and backers. Such lies should be discountenanced.”
Akpabio, also a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, said he remained focused on his aspiration to becoming the Senate President, assuring that he would bring his wealth of experience to the table if elected as the helmsman at the Red Chamber.
He also declared that Nigeria, at this point in its history, needs a polished, knowledgeable, and an uncommon, transformational leader totally devoted to the good of all Nigerians to be the Number 3 man in the country. “And that person is Godswill Akpabio, the uncommon changer,” he enthused.