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SEN. UDOEDEHE REPLIES BISHOP AKPAN 

The former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Abuja, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe has warned theInternational coordinator of Akwa Ibom Peoples Forum (AKPF), Bishop Samuel Akpan not to open a Pandora's Box that will consume his principal, Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio, while in his effort to please him.
He gave this warning while fielding questions from Weekly Insight in a telephone chat on allegations made against him by Bishop Akpan that he collected N10m and a jeep from Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio before he supported him in the 2007 governorship election in the state.
Akpanudoedehe said that he was not inclined to join issues with the AKPF international coordinator because they are not of the same rank politically, noting that Bishop Akpan was sacked from the cabinet of Governor Godswill Akpabio because of his questionable character which according to him, the governor could no longer cope with. The fiery politician maintained that AKPF was formed on the grave-side of Late Chief I. U. Akpabio, stressing that Bishop Akpan can not speak for the governor who has confirmed this to him and that he personally witnessed one of the meetings of the group (AKPF) in Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim LGA, which was also held at the said grave-side. He advised Bishop Sam Akpan to seek the consent of his principal, governor Akpabio, before speaking on his 2007 electoral campaign which he (Udoedehe) chaired, adding that when the Onna-born-politician obtain the governor's consent to speak on the issue, then he should come back and speak, that he (Udoedehe) believes that the governor Akpabio will never allow Bishop Akpan to comment on the issue because doing so may lead to the opening of several issues that have to do with the governor's campaign which he chaired. He added that he will not be the first to throw up the issues because, he owes governor Godswill Akpabio's 2007 campaign team 'that' respect not to open up on these issues including how the campaign was funded. He also disclosed that Bishop Akpan and his likes want to blackmail him so that he (Udoedehe) will be distracted and drop his 2011 ambition to occupy the Akwa Ibom State Hilltop Mansion.
Combatant Udoedehe, assured Bishop Samuel Akpan that somebody of his rank from his (Udoedehe)'s campaign team will reply him on his allegations against him.
His words: “Somebody of his rank in my campaign team will react to all what he has said. But what I want to tell Akwa Ibom people is that (Bishop) Sam Akpan is not a character that they should believe what he is saying, he is desperately trying to blackmail me. I do not join issues with people of such character. Very importantly, I do not want to join issues with attention seekers like Sam Akpan, where did Godswill have N100m or N10m as a former commissioner in the state? I think he is trying to say that his master, Godswill Akpabio was corrupt, when he was a commissioner. Why I do not want to join issues with people like Sam Akpan is that, I am a man of integrity and dignity and I owe even Godswill Akpabio the secret of how his campaign was funded. So I will not because of some disgruntled characters like Sam Akpan begin to expose to the people of the state how Godswill's campaign was funded. That is a secret for me, as the chairman of Godswill's campaign team and members of that team. I think since he has not accused me that I got money from Godswill Akpabio at gun-point and since he has not accused me of stealing the Jeep from Godswill, so all he has said are just cheap blackmail and he is talking politics. So, I do not join issues with a man that does not have the integrity to speak the simple truth.
“The truth of the matter is that I do not join issues with junior persons like Sam Akpan and his accusations are blackmails, because he is being sponsored to say what he is saying against me. I want to repeat what I said that 'AKPF was formed after a covenant that was performed on the grave-side of late Chief I. U. Akpabio'. This story was confirmed by Godswill (Akpabio) and people were there when he told me. It is not Sam Akpan that will react, because Godswill told me the story and I also collaborated this story with what I saw the day we went to Ukana Ikot Ntuen for the meeting of AKPF, that is the simple truth about it. The funny thing about his (Akpan)'s allegation is that, some papers are reporting that Godswill gave me N10m while some are saying N100m, so I do not know the one to take. Ok! Why should he (Chief Godwsill Akpabio) give one man N10m or N100m; gave him a car; make him the chairman of his campaign committee; gave him a ministerial appointment, a man that was not with them from the beginning of the campaign as they said, if that man was not important? This is what the people of the state should ask them. (Laughter) Well, as far as I'm concerned, he (Akpan) has not said anything, but blackmail, which does not mean anything to me, because he has not refuted what I said.
“If he (Akpan) wants to know, Godswill (Akpabio) came to my house with a car called Mitsubishi Montero; he (Godswill Akpabio) did not have a Jeep, so how can a man who did not have more than just two cars give somebody a jeep? Everybody in the state knows that I have assorted type of Jeeps, so Sam Akpan is lying again. Let (Bishop) Sam Akpan tell the people of the state why he was the first person to be dropped from (Governor) Godswill Akpabio's cabinet, if he is a credible character in the state and had contributed to the success of Godswill Akpabio in 2006 PDP primary as he claimed? That is food for thought, for the people in the state.
“Normally, in my tradition, I do not join issues with people of questionable character, but if Godswill (Akpabio) wants me to explain to the public how his campaign was funded why not? I will do that. As for AKPF it is demonic because it was formed on the grave-side and I stand by that. I want to advice the people of Akwa Ibom disregard all what (Bishop) Sam Akpan has said, they are meant at distracting us from the noble and just course to offer them a positive change in the state. When I was with them, Sam Akpan does not even come close to us whenever I and (Governor) Godswill Akpabio were discussing, he will stand very far away from us, not to talk of him contributing idea to what I and Godswill (Akpabio) were doing. So, I was very surprised to hear what he said against me. Well, just like I said earlier, somebody of his rank equivalent in my campaign team will answer him accordingly, for the purpose of putting the record straight.
“May be Sam Akpan want people to start asking where did Godswill (Akpbio) have N10m or N100m to give me, when actually he was a commissioner in Attah's government? Again, he is trying to open Pandora's Box that will consume (Governor) Godswill Akpabio. My advice to him (Akpan) is that he should first of all seek his master's consent before he goes there, because he will be disappointed at what my campaign team will release to the public and they will not be able to stand it. I repeat for the sake of emphasize that Sam Akpan should go and confer with Godswill Akpabio and say 'can I go for this war? If his principal (Governor Akpabio) says, he should go then, he can come back for it and we will face them. So, in this one that he (Bishop Akpan) has said against me, I am going to behave as if he has not asked Godswill (Akpabio) for his approval to speak on his 2007 campaign issues.