Akpabio still in race –Group

National Patriotic Forum For Equity, Fairness And Justice (NPFEFJ) has reaffirmed the commitment of former Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, to contest for Senate president.

A statement issued by the leadership of the group, at the end of its National Delegates’ Conference in Ilorin, Kwara State said from interactions with some notable figures in the camps of the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, he has not withdrawn from the race for the office of the Senate President in the coming 10th Senate and has no reason(s) whatsoever to withdraw from the race.

The statement  signed on behalf of the group by Oloye Tunde Olakojo and Mallam Shehudeen Abdulkadir, national coordinator and general secretary respectively said: “We condemn in its entirety the politics of falsehood against Senator Godswill Akpabio and his ambition. From our independent findings, Senator Akpabio is the natural choice of the people because of his national appeal across party lines for the revered office of the Senate President. The introduction of lies and propaganda as strategies in an attempt to eliminate competitors is not healthy for our democracy and it should be condemned by well-meaning citizens of this country.

“From information at our disposal, majority of Senators -elect and returning Senators have since settled and queued behind the candidacy of Senator Akpabio because of his intimidating credentials, achievements in public office, his track records, maturity and experience. His contributions to the success of the party at the South South zone in the last general elections stand him out among the crowd.

“Apart from the above, coming from the zone that has not produced the Senate President since the commencement of democratic rule in1999, and the oil producing zone of the country, his knowledge in the oil and gas sector of the economy and as a former Minister of the Niger Delta region, his election as the number three citizen, would be a plus for the zone and the country in general.”