Godswill Akpabio, lawmaker representing Akwa Ibom North West at the Senate has denied claims that he queried where God was when he made Udom Emmanuel governor of the State in 2015.
Mr Akpabio is a two-term former governor of the oil-rich state, his political career waxed stronger during his days in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) until in August 2018 when he decamped to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).
He played a vital role to ensure Mr Emmanuel succeeds him in office as the state governor and as soon as the latter did, they fell apart politically.
Until his defection, the former governor was largely regarded as the political godfather of the state. He went to the Nigerian Senate and made history as the first-timer to clinch one of the position of principal officers at the upper legislative chamber.
There were insinuations in some quarters that Akpabio had during the governorship campaign of the APC boasted that he will send the incumbent governor packing from the government house in Uyo, the state capital.
Mr Emmanuel had used “Divine Mandate – Only God” as his campaign slogan and purveyors of the claim said the former governor queried where God was when he single-handedly made his successor governor.
Denying he ever mocked the Supreme Being, Akpabio said he could not blaspheme God who has shown him much care.
“In 2015 my wife was in a coma for months and the best doctors in the world with the help of the best life-support equipment gave her less than five percent chance of making it,” Akpabio said in a post election article he titled, “The Lies and Liars of the Election.”
“Doctors and science gave up on her. The press wrote that she had died. But we held on to God and God brought her back to life. Science could not explain this awesome testimony.
“In 2015, I was involved in an accident, which details are still suspect. I survived against all odds because God showed up for me.
“Can a man who has seen so much favour from God, turn around to blaspheme him? Can such a man seek to play God or seek to share His glory with Him? Such a man can never say ‘where was God when I made Udom Emmanuel governor?’” the lawmaker said.
Akpabio failed to secure a second term of returning to the Senate. He lost his re-election to Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor of the state and senatorial candidate of the PDP.
During his defection, he boasted that the state will be the first held by the opposition PDP that will fall for the ruling APC.
The former governor who is at the tribunal to challenge Ekpenyong’s victory has said he will reclaim his mandate.
