Justice Hafizu Is Ready To Expose Injustice Against Akpabio - DG GACO
Dr. Chris Akpan is the
Director General of Godswill Akpabio Campaign Organization, GACO. He once
served under Victor Attah-led state government as the Commissioner for Rural
Development and he was later appointed into the committee on Airport Project by
Godswill Akpabio’s administration. In this interview with The Sensor
correspondent, UBONGABASI ISE, he reveals how one of the three members of the
national assembly election petition tribunal, Justice Sherrif Hafizu, disagreed
with his two other colleagues and rejected mouthwatering kickback offered by
the Akwa Ibom State Government to influence the judgment against Senator
Godswill Akpabio in his petition challenging the declaration of Senator Chris
Ekpenyong as winner of February 23 senatorial election. Dr. Akpan hinted
that Justice Hafizu might expose the underhand practices surrounding the majority
judgment of the tribunal. He lauded Hafizu for his courageous, dissenting
judgment and called on Akpabio’s supporters not to panic because all the wrongs
would be soon righted at the appellate court, EXCERPT:
The national assembly election petition tribunal has passed its
judgment, and the majority decision is not favouring Senator Godswill Akpabio,
what is your reaction to this?
Few days to the judgment, we all knew what would happen. There is
no doubt in the mind of any unbiased Akwa Ibom man that the panel was
thoroughly compromised. Justice Hafizu should be commended. He is an honest
Nigerian. He was doing national assignment, and his has discharged the
obligation honestly, sincerely and to the best of his ability. Everybody is no
doubt aware that the so-called majority judgment was actually purchased. All
that has transpired has gone in line with what we read in the social media
about what transpired between Akwa Ibom State government, the judges and
everything associated with the tribunal. So we did not expect anything
different from what they did. But thank God there is a provision for you to
seek a redress at the upper level when you are not satisfied. This is what we
intend to do.
It would interest of public interest to know how you get this
privileged information that the panel would be compromising.
It was there on the social media and it was known to everybody
when Barr. Leo Ekpeyong made his publication that he knew that two of the
judges would compromise, and that there would be a split judgment. If he quacks
like a duck, walks like a duck, then he must be a duck. So we are satisfied
that Leo Ekpeyong was right in his submission. So we are not surprised at all
about the outcome but thank God there is a provision for us to seek redress in
the court of appeal.
The minority decision declared Senator Godswill Akpabio as the
winner with the majority of lawful votes. Does this give him any advantage?
Yes! One, the judgment of the majority glossed over salient
features of the matter. For example, the result was announced at Ikot Ekpene and
a lot of people were celebrating in Ikot Ekpene and then came, “bring all the
results to Uyo.” All the results were brought to Uyo, and at Uyo, 61,239 votes
became about 6,000 votes. Nothing was mentioned about this in a majority
judgment. So many issues were left untreated and silent in the majority
judgment which the minority judgment brought out and provided answer to. If we
have to judge as intelligent laymen, then no one would be left in any doubt
that the majority judgment was so tattered. So the minority judgment will stand
the test of time. The majority judgment would be thrown into dustbin of the compromised
judgment.
In the majority judgment, Justice Akanbi said 61,239 votes was
written by the Returning Officer of Essien Udim local government under the
threat to his life. But the Returning officer, on cross-examination, said he wouldn’t
want to be partisan and would not know the political party that sponsored
thuggery during the election. In your own reckoning, how fair was this ruling?
To justify their pay, they had to invent all sorts of gimmicks to
justify that. But all those results they claimed were not valid, we provided all
their certified true copies from INEC. The certified true copies of those
results were presented to INEC, and that was not mentioned in the majority
judgment which has completely been treated in the minority judgment. Those are
the issues that the majority wanted to sweep under the carpet but happily the
minority judgment has brought those issues up. The court of appeal would look
at those issues, and then use them, judge them on their own merit. That is why
I believe that we would get justice in the higher court.
There is allegation in some quarters that Senator Akpabio bribed
Justice Sherrif Hafizu to give dissenting judgment. How true is this claim?
Of course when somebody is caught with his hand in the jar, he
would love to rope in as many people as possible. Senator Godswil Akpabio has
never met Justice Hafizu. If he was to be bribed, could Godswill Akpabio have gotten
more money than the state government? What could have stopped him from taking
the bigger amount of money from the state? People are trying to taint the
judgment of Hafizu, and every reasonable man knows clearly that Hafizu is
guided by his conscience in his service to this country and we really
appreciate this. He was not induced, and could have been induced. So far if
there is any of the judges that should have been taken to the higher bench,
that should be a man like Hafizu who has rebuffed all efforts to be induced and
he was even promised the double of what it was intended initially to be given
him. Rather, he rejected all and stood on the path of truth. There is no way
Godswill Akpabio could have had more money to give Justice Hafizu than the
state government.
Are you saying you are privy to the information that Justice
Hafizu was attempted to be bribed by the state for government?
Of course. Didn't you hear what Hafizu said? He said if pushed, he
is ready to divulge all that transpired, which they tried to rein in. The judge
had said so. That is why so many of them are quiet. If the man is pushed to the
wall, he may come out to spill what he knows about corrupt practices that went
on in that place.
How do the people of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District receive these
rulings?
What we observed was that there was no jubilation for the majority
judgment. If you were in the court you would have heard the applauses when the
minority judgment was given. In the court of the people, there is no doubt at
all that the two judges would have been stoned. Everybody knows that Justice
Hafizu is incorruptible and the judgment he gave was based on his conscience
and based on the evidences that actually been adduced in court. So the people
of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district are not worried as far as Godswill Akpabio
would move to the higher level to seek justice.
Has Senator Godswill Akpabio openly declared his intention to
approach the appellate court?
Well, we are his advisers. We have started that process already.
That means in no time...
(Cuts in)... The matter will move to the higher level.
Are you worried that the decision of the majority ruling has
delayed Senator Godswill Akpabio from proceeding to the Red Chambers?
Sometimes it is better late than never. We are not worried at all.
Do you think Senator Akpabio is prepared once again to cope with
the rigours of the litigation at the Appeal Court after elections, tribunal
case, and...
(Cuts in)... No, no. At the appellate level he doesn't needs to be
there. The lawyers know what to do because he has a team of very competent
lawyers. They know what to do, and they will take on the challenge. There is no
problem at all. He doesn't have to abandon his job as a minister to come to the
court to do this or that, no.
There must have been
frustration in your camp about the court verdict...
No no, that to the contrary. Having known what transpired, we are
not frustrated at all. Our spirit is high because we know that eventually that
we are going to get what is ours which is justice. Purchasing justice is not
the same thing as getting justice duly. So we absolutely have no fear in our
hearts at all. The proper thing will be done; so we are not disturbed. We can
only afford to waste a few more months to get justice, properly
so-called.
What would you say to calm the nerves of your followers affected
by the latest setback?
I have addressed many of our supporters since this thing happened.
I have been in our office in Ikot Ekpene this morning. I have told our people
to go about their normal businesses. Our lawyers know what to do, and the
process is on, to retrieve justice. Everybody is in the high spirits. We are
expecting the correct thing to be done, and hopefully it is going to be done
sooner than we even think.
I would tell all our teeming supporters, all Akwa Ibomites, and
all friends of Godswill Akpabio not to have their spirit dampened, that we are
not going to run away from our responsibility to ensure that the votes they
gave out to Godswill Akpabio in that election is made to count. We are in that
process, and by the grace of God we are going to succeed.
©The Sensor Newspaper
©The Sensor Newspaper
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