...USES EFCC AGAINST IBANGA AKPABIO
The clampdown of the national ruling APC against the PDP has reached another level with the detention of Barr Ibanga Akpabio who is current Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom state by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC acted over an allegation by an APC chieftain and former PDP House of Representatives member Robinson Uwak.
Uwak according to an EFCC source had petitioned the anti- graft agency in connection with a purported N10m bribe he claimed he offered Barr Akpabio to secure re-election into the House of Representatives in 2014. The money is said to have been paid through the former Chairman of Urue Offong Oruko, Mr Okon Osung.
Sources at the EFCC told our correspondent that Mr. Ibanga was detained at the Zonal office of the EFCC in Port Harcourt after voluntarily going there to honour their invitation which came while he was on vacation abroad.
Although Ibanga Akpabio is said to have denied the allegations, and had requested for a proof from the petitioner, he was locked up and allegedly granted bail based on very stringent bail conditions.
A source close to the detained party chieftain had informed our correspondent that the PDP Deputy Chairman had stridently denied obtaining any money from Hon Uwak. He is said to have insisted that since the money was purported to have been paid into an account the owner of the said account should be investigated as no such money got to him.
Although Ibanga Akpabio is said to have denied the allegations, and had requested for a proof from the petitioner, he was locked up and allegedly granted bail based on very stringent bail conditions.
A source close to the detained party chieftain had informed our correspondent that the PDP Deputy Chairman had stridently denied obtaining any money from Hon Uwak. He is said to have insisted that since the money was purported to have been paid into an account the owner of the said account should be investigated as no such money got to him.
EFCC is said to have relied on a doctored phone conversation allegedly between the former Chairman of Urue Offong Oruko, Mr Osung although the said phone conversation is said to have been concocted by Uwak who is said to have used special software applications to create a voice almost like that of Mr Ibanga Akpabio.
Mr Akpabio had denied that the voice in the tape which has been sub-titled and circulated in the social media for a while now is his. Sources close to the APC chieftain said the former House member who had been involved in various nefarious activities, including setting up a rival female politician in a sex scandal by concocting a video tape and circulating it on the internet, had vowed that by the time he presents his concocted evidence before EFCC, Mr Ibanga Akpabio would be detained indefinitely.
Mr Uwak, who claimed to have been a member of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Council is quoted to have boasted to his close associates that he will use his APC connection to deal with Mr Ibanga Akpabio. He said with his party connection he would ensure that Ibanga is detained for a long while and denied bail eventhough he voluntarily went to the EFCC office in Port Harcourt to honour their invitation.
Mr Uwak, who claimed to have been a member of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Council is quoted to have boasted to his close associates that he will use his APC connection to deal with Mr Ibanga Akpabio. He said with his party connection he would ensure that Ibanga is detained for a long while and denied bail eventhough he voluntarily went to the EFCC office in Port Harcourt to honour their invitation.
True to his boast, a source in EFCC listed Some of the conditions for the bail application to include presenting a guarantor who is a holder of the national honour of GCON, a gazetted traditional ruler, an owner of choice landed property in Port Harcourt , N10million naira cash, among others.
Earlier reactions to this detention have accused President Buhari of victimizing the largest opposition party base in the country. Uwak has also boasted that his main target is the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio who he has accused of being the one who denied him the ticket to return to the House of Representative.
According to analysts the political persecution of Ibanga could easily be seen in how easy someone could be arrested for an unproven case of allegedly taking bribe, while the one who admitted to bribe giving gets a presidential treatment. Questions are also asked as to how someone who is in custody over an allegation of obtaining N10 million is given such stringent condition as presenting someone who had the national honour of GCON, whereas those accused of higher crimes are granted bail based on lesser conditions.
Robinson Uwak had lost the House of Representatives primaries in the PDP in 2014 before absconding to the APC where he again lost in the elections. Ever since the loss, the former law maker has made wild and unsubstantiated allegations against the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio and his cousin Ibanga.
Reactions from the PDP in Akwa Ibom was not available at press time.
Reactions from the PDP in Akwa Ibom was not available at press time.
(From Our Mailbox)
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