Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has described as false and mischievous allegations that he supported and advised President Goodluck Jonathan to extend emergency rule and collapse all democratic structures in the three north-eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

“I did not call for the complete emergency rule,” Akpabio declared in a statement issued yesterday in Uyo and signed by his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah. The statement made it clear that “at no time did Governor Akpabio offer such an advice nor granted any interview on the issue.”

It added that “matters of emergency rule are vested on the President and Commander-in-chief of the Federal Republic and therefore, no governor has any say on such decisions, as it is the prerogative of Mr. President and the Senate.”

The statement said Akpabio views the “allegation as a calculated attempt to malign his person and office, charging Nigerians to disregard the wild rumour as he was one of the PDP governors who applauded the President for retaining the democratic structures in the affected states and could therefore not work against the continuation of the democratic structures in the states.”

Governor Akpabio, the statement said, “sympathises with all victims of the unfortunate insurgencies and prays for an end to the security challenges facing the nation, while calling on the security agencies to continue to do their best in ensuring that the abducted girls are released and made to reunite with their families alive.”