Again, Niger Delta Coalition condemns Atiku’s attack on Akpabio
Uko Okon, Uyo
The Niger Delta Conscience Coalition (NDCC) has strongly condemned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s recent attack on Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
This was contained in a statement issued by the President of NDCC, Mr Aniefiok Fabian and his Secretary, Mr. John Dagogo and made available to Newsnowng in Uyo on Tuesday.
Atiku had accused Akpabio of corruption and abuse of women, but the group described the attack as a “reckless descent into baseless defamation”.
According to the coalition, Atiku’s allegations of corruption and abuse of women against Akpabio during his tenure as Governor of Akwa Ibom State are “wild, unfounded, and lack a shred of evidence”.
The NDCC accused Atiku of resorting to “cheap smear campaigns” to further his “selfish perennial political agenda”.
The coalition also questioned Atiku’s moral credentials to criticise Akpabio, citing his own history of alleged corruption, including the scandalous sale of a $3.2 billion national asset for $250 million during his tenure as Vice President.
The NDCC suggested that Atiku’s attack on Akpabio may be part of a larger scheme to destabilise the Senate leadership and advance his own 2027 presidential ambitions.
“NIGER DELTA CONSCIENCE COALITION (NDCC) is deeply alarmed by the reckless descent of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar into baseless defamation against the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
“It is regrettable that Atiku, out of sheer political frustration, has resorted to making cheap, wild and unfounded allegations against the President of the Senate, accusing him of corruption and abuse of women during his tenure as Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
“His unfounded claims that Senator Akpabio is corrupt and abused women during his tenure as Governor of Akwa Ibom State are nothing but a shameless smear campaign, lacking a shred of evidence, specificity, or substance.
“Atiku’s tirade is a disgraceful attempt to railroad lies into public consciousness, all in service of his selfish perennial political agenda.
“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar does not possess the moral credentials to criticize or condemn Senator Godswill Akpabio over alleged corruption and abuse of women, especially when these wild allegations, like so many we have seen in recent times, have no shred of proof, worst still coming from a man who is “haunted by corruption demons”, to borrow the words of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the diminutive former Governor of Kaduna State.
“Atiku, a former customs officer turned vice president, presided over the scandalous sale of a $3.2 billion national asset for a measly $250 million, a “mistake” he himself admitted, only to emerge inexplicably wealthy, bankrolling every of his never-ending presidential bid since 1999 with such financial muscle that is surprising of a custom staff,” the statement added.
