https://www.facebook.com/aksgovt/videos/782315851969192/

My dear Akwa Ibomites
Let me start by wishing you Compliments of the Season and God’s blessing in this new month of December! Those of voting age will exercise their suffrage, and choose the people who will represent our interests as Chairmen and Councillors of our Local Government Councils on Saturday, 2nd December, 2017.
Let me remind us that the aim of this exercise is not to divide but to unite us. It is not to destroy our values but to build up the Akwa Ibom Family. Let us note that this election would be over, but the Akwa Ibom project lives on.
I am happy with the peaceful manner we conducted ourselves in the course of the campaigns. This has made it clear to the world that Akwa Ibomites do not have to see eye-to-eye in order to walk hand-in-hand. Similar exercise in other parts of the nation was marred with violence, bloodshed and mayhem, but in this blessed State named after the Almighty God, we proved to our nation our belief that blood is thicker than politics. We proved to the world that Akwa Ibom State is not only God-fearing and peaceful; but mature enough to internalize and accept political differences.
We may have different political opinions and beliefs; we may disagree on the mechanics of achieving a set political goal, but we never differ or disagree with the truth that what binds us transcends political affiliations. We never differ or disagree with our sacred faith and belief in the Akwa Ibom Project and the immutability of its essence. This admirable quality is a legacy we inherited from our fathers who contributed their meager resources to selflessly build community schools and train our deserving children. It is a legacy that is wired into our DNA.
As we go out to vote, let us imbibe that spirit of love and sacrifice. Let us be law abiding, let us eschew violence and let us preserve the awesome testimony of the righteous heritage of our dear State.
I urge our youths to resist the temptation of those who may desire to use them to foment trouble, or cause the breakdown of law and order. I wish to reiterate in clear terms Government’s irrevocable commitment to the maintenance of law, peace and order. Any individual who dares to test our commitment should be ready to face the full weight, wrath and fury of the law.
I urge parents whose wards may have been compromised or may have offered themselves as willing tools of destabilization by misguided political entities, to call their wards to order. I urge parents to again remind their wards that those who take laws into their hands would soon have handcuffs over their wrists. The law enforcement agencies are ready and prepared to maintain the peace. Movements of persons and vehicles across the state will be restricted from midnight on Friday, 1st December to 4pm on Saturday, 2nd December, 2017 except personnel on essential duties who must carry their valid identification.
The Government of Akwa Ibom State stands ready to enforce its sacred responsibility of the maintenance of law and order. Let this word go forth to all nooks and crannies of our State that from this commitment, we would neither retreat nor surrender.
God bless Akwa Ibom State, God bless Nigeria. It is well and will always be well with Akwa Abasi Ibom State.

The Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) on Monday said 900 candidates would vie for positions in Saturday local government elections in the state.
The Chairman of the commission, Aniedi Ikoiwak, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo, the state capital.
Mr. Ikoiwak explained that no fewer than 100 candidates were contesting the chairmanship positions in the 31 local government councils while 800 candidates were for the 329 councillorship seats.
He said that all the candidates for the elections were presented by 12 registered political parties.
He said that out of the political parties participating in the polls, only the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fielded candidates for all positions.
Mr. Ikoiwak said that arrangements had been put in place for the conduct of the election in all the 2,980 polling units across the 329 wards in the state.
He said that all the political parties participating in the elections signed peace accord on Friday to guarantee peaceful conduct of the exercise.
Mr. Ikoiwak said that the accord meeting was presided over by the security agencies, adding that the political parties had pledged to abide by the rules governing the election.
“We are ready for the smooth conduct of the council polls across the 31 local areas,” he said.
He said that the 31 area offices of the commission in the state had been equipped with generators and ICT facilities for the election.
The chairman dismissed insinuations in some quarters that AKISIEC had developed a manual to collate election results in favour of a particular political party.
He said that the guidelines governing council election in the state vested the power to announce the results of chairmanship election on the commission’s chairman.
“The guideline is not our own product; nothing in the manual was inserted by the present board. It had been there and had been used by the previous board without protest.
“Any political party or person, who is not comfortable with the electoral guideline should seek for the repeal of the state electoral law,” Mr. Ikoiwak advised.
(NAN)

The Nigeria Police Force in Akwa Ibom State has announced restriction of movement of persons and vehicles ahead of the Local Government elections set to hold in the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana in a statement on Thursday night said adequate security measures have been put in place for peaceful Local Government Election across the 31 Local Government Areas of the state.

“To that effect, the command is deploying 15,000 Policemen to all the polling units, collation centers, and flashpoints.

“Movement of persons and vehicles across the State will be restricted from 12 mid-night on Friday, December 1, 2017, to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 2, 2017, except personnel on essential duties who must carry their valid identification cards,” the statement read in part,” the statement read in part.

Voters are advised to conduct themselves in orderly and peaceful manner, as the police announce preparedness to deal decisively with anyone bent on causing the breach of peace before, during and after the election.

Ahead of Saturday, December 2, 2017, local government elections, three Councillorship candidates of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ibeno have announced their withdrawal from the race as a result of the sterling performance of Governor Udom Emmanuel and the reality on ground.

They are Mr. Victor Bassey of Ward-7, Mr. Sunday Udoeka Eshiet of Ward-10 and Friday Friday Samuel of Ward-4.

The candidates, who had informed the Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) through a formal letter of withdrawal 48 hours to the election and while announcing their decisions to respect and honour the State Governor and his representative, Rt. Hon. Okpolupm Etteh, cited the infrastructural strides and development brought about by the administration as their reasons for withdrawal.

A statement made available to newsmen by one of the candidates, Mr. Victor Bassey (Bishop), in Ibeno on Thursday, said he decided to bow out in order to enable him work with his brothers, sisters and other party faithful in ensuring that PDP wins landslide in the election.

According to Mr. Bassey, “I have traversed the state and particularly Ibeno Local Government Area and I have learnt firsthand from people what the most pertinent issues affecting their daily lives were. I have also spent a significant amount of time discussing my candidacy within the ranks of the APC just as I did with the broader populace. My interaction with potential voters and stakeholders made it clear that PDP was Ibeno and Ibeno was PDP. So, I have decided to join and support the winning team.”
They also hinged their reasons on the grounds that indicators within the APC did not convince them that the party was ready or prepared for elections.

Receiving them, the Ibeno Chapter Chairman of PDP, Mr. Emma Ibok, commended them for the wise decision to join the winning team and urged them to be steadfast, maintain that they will be fully rewarded.

He said the return of the candidates to the PDP has further confirmed the belief of the people in the party and in the ideals and programmes of the Udom Emmanuel-led administration.

Our investigations revealed that the situation has left the APC in Ibeno with only four councillorship candidates from Ward-1, Ward-2, Ward-5 and Ward-6 out of 10 Wards in the local government area.

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State, Prof. Richard King, has called for the strengthening of democratic institutions to give Nigerians more opportunities to participate in the democratic process.

Speaking with The Nation in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, King said Nigeria will only get it right when she allows true democracy to prevail and “citizens are guaranteed a sacrosanct role in her leadership recruitment process.” He said democratic institutions are weak and frustrating because citizens are denied participatory role and the system continues to pander to the interest of a few.

King added: “When the entire process is non-inclusive and operates at the detriment of the collective interest or general good, for so long will the governing class be aligned to the selfish ambitions of political godfathers; and never to the people’s good.”

King said the people must be allowed to participate meaningfully in the elective process. His words: “The most critical link in the governance chain lies in peoples’ right to choose their representatives.”
King, who is a Professor of Fisheries and Aquaculture, flayed the role of the state independent electoral commissions in conducting local government elections, saying it amounts to a travesty and mockery of democracy, “because only the ruling party in each state wins in such contest”.

He said: “It is a mockery of democracy for state independent electoral commissions to continue organising such embarrassing roll-calls all in the name of conducting local government elections.”

The professor of fisheries and aquaculture said popular participation in the leadership selection process, particularly at the grassroots level, is the panacea to arresting the leadership deficit currently bedeviling the nation’s development. He added the country has the potentials for tremendous growth, if human and natural resources are harnessed and utilized optimally.

He said residents should leverage on the local government elections scheduled for December 2, 2017 in Akwa Ibom State, to help in deepening the country’s democratic process.

Stakeholders of the Action Congress APC Sunday warned that there would be dire consequences should the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) government in the state connive with the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) to rig December 2nd 2019 local Governmemt elections.

Senior Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang and the MD/CEO of the NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere who gave the warning at Uyo township stadium during the flag off of the party’s campaigns ahead of the December 2 Akwa Ibom local government elections in the state.

The APC party leaders said they are aware that the PDP has perfected to connive with AKISIEC to stop results from been announced at collation centres, and warned that the APC will resist every attempt to rig the election.

Addressing the mammoth crowed, the National Chairman of the APC, Chief Odige Oyegun said the impressive turn-out at the event was a manifestation of the readiness of the people to unseat the PDP administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel in 2019.

According to him, the council polls would serve as a test case for the APC, adding that the large turn-out of teeming supporters at the event was a testimony to the fact that Akwa Ibom people are in support of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

He commended the President for his efforts geared towards building a new Nigeria, salvaging the economy from recession, fighting corruption head-long and providing job and empowerment opportunities for the teeming youths of the country.

NigerDeltan:
For APC mind they want to win one councillor seat

Thunder...