By Henry Umoru

ABUJA- THE President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Monday, for the first time, physically met with former Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, just as Akpabio also admitted that he has never seen the former INEC chief physically till today.

Akpabio and Igini met at the ongoing 2024 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Lagos.

In a statement by the Special Assistant Media to the President of the Senate, Jackson Udom, Igini, while exchanging pleasantries with Akpabio noted, ” this is the first I am physically meeting with the President of the Senate, we have only been seeing on Television.”

The statement read, “It would be recalled that Igini presided over the 2019 elections in Akwa Ibom State. He ordered the results of the Senatorial election of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, to be taken to Uyo for declaration of the winner against the Electoral Act.

“Igini, presided over the declaration of the results after the figures were cancelled and results sheets mutilated in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“The former Akwa Ibom INEC chief before, during and after the 2023 general elections was involved in another attempt to truncate Akpabio’s efforts at returning to the Red Chambers by recognizing a faction of the party.

“It took the pronouncement of the Supreme Court for Akpabio to be recognized as the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.

“Despite all the landmines on Akpabio’s way to the Senate, the will of the people of Akwa Ibom North West, finally prevailed when he was declared the winner of the Senatorial contest in a landslide victory and subsequently elected the President of the 10th Senate.”