by Rachel Ogbu

The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio is under fire from his critics for allegedly bragging about rigging a senatorial election in 2007. But did he? Watch the video below and decide for yourself.

Watch it here:

“The people of Ikono and Ini (Local Government Areas) from 1960 have never produced a Senator,” the governor began.

“I used my own hand to strike out the name of the person who HAD WON BEFORE, and I said it is important for me to give that region a Senator in 2007, and I produced Senator Aloysius Etok for you; that’s where he comes from,” the governor said, before gesturing to Mr. Etok, who attended the session alongside his colleague in the Senate, Ita Enang, to “take a bow”.

It is reported that he went on to say, (this is not captured in video):

[READ: Father Xmas: “I am giving all the state chairmen of the party N1 million each for Mr Biggs”- Governor Akpabio (WATCH)]

[READ: Promise fulfilled: 2face and wife, Annie Idibia receive Toyota SUV gift from Governor Akpabio (SNAPSHOT)]

“So I must say that I thank all of you, including the members of the national assembly; led by Senator Aloysius Etok. And when I said that I made Aloy(sius Etok) to become a senator in 2007, I need to explain it so that you don’t think that I wrote his name and he became a senator.”

“During the primaries of PDP, we zoned the senate seat to his federal constituency. And from the federal constituency, he made first in the primaries. That happened in the PDP. So we said since he was the first among the people who came from his federal constituency for the primary, then he must be the one to become the senator.”

Then after that, we “presented him before the general public in the election and he won. And in 2011, with my support, he had the highest number of votes by any senator in the entire national assembly,” he said.

Akpabio, who is also the PDP Governors Forum chairman has faced criticisms lately. This recent storm comes from an event during the Federal Government’s “Good Governance Tour” in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Last week alone, he had given 2Face and Annie Idibia a Prado jeep and pledge to sponsor Annie’s family members to their Dubai wedding. He also announced he was giving six PDP governors N1 million each for Mr Biggs in Port Harcourt for a party reconciliation session. “My brother Governor, Uduaghan, said our members are hungry and that we must put food in their stomach so that they don’t stray to other parties. I am giving all the state chairmen of the party N1 million each for Mr Biggs. Our members must not be hungry,” he said.