(http://peoplesdailyng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/godswill-akpabio_3.jpg) (http://peoplesdailyng.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/godswill-akpabio_3.jpg)By Albert Akota
Following the confession of Akwa Ibom state Governor, Godswill Apkabio that he rigged an election in favour of Senator Aloysius Etok, a coalition of 17 civil society groups under the aegis of Electoral Security and Transparency Group (ESTC) has admonished him to, as matter of urgency, resign as governor in the interest of democracy.
ESTC board of trustee chairman, Chief Titus Adewumi, who disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja yesterday agaist the backdrop of the ungodly role which Akpabio allegedly played in the recent Nigeria Governors' Forum poll.
He said the governor's shocking disclosure was capable of derailing the 14 – year uninterrupted civil rule in Nigeria, adding that Akpabio had earlier been quoted as describing his fellow governors as "Judas"
Adewumi noted that in view of the alleged efforts by the governor "to
promote dictatorship in Akwo Ibom state", he was unfit to continue in office. This is more so as Akpabio has also reportedly directed that the
Senator should be re-called or withdrawn from the National Assembly.
The coalitions condemned election rigging with impunity perpetuated by government officials, as underscored by the statement accredited to Akpabio claiming to have rigged a poll in favor of a Senator, as published in the media.
"How can a sitting governor have intention of destroying our democracy by using
all sort of antics? He had said that,'I used my hand to strike out the name of a person who won the election, I said it is important for him to give that region a Senator in 2007 because I am from that senatorial district, I produced Senator Aloysius Etok for you'.
"We want Mr. President in his effort to promote free and fair election in Nigeria to set up judicial commission of enquiry to investigate the veracity of the claims made by Governor. And if it is true that that Akpabio rig the election, he should face the law of election fraud. "He should as matter of urgency resign to pave way for probe, since the Senator and state House of Assembly is a product of rigging, House of Representatives should commence investigation into the activities of Akpabio to avoid further disintegration of democracy in the state," Adewumi said.
The ESTC vowed to do everything to team up and mobilize various democratic groups in Nigeria to protest the executive rascality by the governor to save the nation nascent democracy as well as extending the protest to Nigerian embassy in other countries of the world, particularly the USA.
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