I Didn’t Bribe Any Judge – Akpabio, Denies Links With Arrested Judges

SAN FRANCISCO, October 10, (THEWILL) – Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, has denied reports linking him with bribery of Supreme Court judges described it as spurious, baseless and false.

The former governor of Akwa Ibom State released a statement in response to reports on social media that he bribed Supreme Court judges to swing the 2015 Akwa Ibom governorship election petition in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Udom Emmanuel.

He accused the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Akwa-Ibom of sponsoring the story against him, saying it was sad for the APC in the state to celebrate the ordeals of one of the arrested judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Inyang Okoro, an indigene of the state, instead of waiting for the conclusion of investigations.

“We wish to state most emphatically that Senator Akpabio is in no way involved in the alleged bribery of Supreme Court judges and so has no reason whatsoever to be scared over the arrest of the Judges,” Akpabio said through a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Anietie Ekong.

“In the last few years, the only time he had contact with Supreme Court justices was in December last year when the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, in which he is the vice chairman, visited the Chief Justice of the Federation and other judges of the apex court.

“Senator Akpabio, as a democrat, believes in the sanctity of the electoral process and so has not been involved in bribing any Judge as it is not in his character to do so. His election as a Senator which was seen as a no contest after a sterling performance as Governor of Akwa Ibom State was widely held as free and fair.

“Senator Akpabio like many other Nigerians learnt of the news of the arrest of the Judges/ Justices on Saturday while he was in Irrua, Edo State when he along with the Senate President and other Senators attended the wedding of the daughter of their colleague, Senator Clifford Ordia.

“It is most disingenuous and reprehensible for Akwa Ibom State APC to attempt to link Senator Akpabio to something he has no knowledge of and impute he was gripped with fear when he was busy celebrating with his colleague on the marriage of his daughter in Irrua, Esan Central Local Government of Edo State.

“We condemn it in very strong terms and advice those whose stock in trade and preoccupation is to link Senator Akpabio to every ignominious scheme to desist from such pull-him-down syndrome.”

THEWILL recalls that the Department of State Security (DSS), over the weekend arrested seven judges, including two justices of the Supreme Court, in multiple raids across Nigeria accusing them of bribery and corruption.

They were however, released on Monday night.
Story by David Oputah