₦airaland Forum

The All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom has called for the cancellation of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

The call came as the state Governor, Godswill Akpabio, was declared the winner of one of the senatorial seats in the state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The state Chairman of the APC, Dr. Amadu Atai, called on INEC to cancel the polls while briefing newsmen in Uyo on Sunday.

Atai said virtually in every polling unit in Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District, result sheets were not available.

He said the party, after a review of the field reports on the elections across the state, has come to the conclusion that the elections be cancelled.

The chairman explained that the call was based on the fact that the polls were not conducted in accordance with extant electoral laws and guidelines.

According to him, the result sheet is one of the sensitive materials that must be used for the conduct of elections.

Atai added that some voters at polling units in the affected senatorial district insisted that they would not vote except result sheets were provided.

He stated that the INEC officials later supplied the area with fake result sheets, which obviously lacked the barcode that the original result sheet had.

He said: “The experience in Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District was replicated in most polling units in Akwa Ibom North West and Akwa Ibom South senatorial districts, respectively.

“Most of the polling units did not have result sheets.

“We recall that only yesterday (Friday) we issued a press statement alerting the world to the fact that the PDP had colluded with INEC officials to procure original result sheets which were already being filled up with fake results.

“The elections were marred by other forms of irregularities.

“In Ibesikpo Asutan local government area, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the administration of Godswill Akpabio, Prince Uwem Ita Etuk, went around with policemen and thugs beating up and maiming people.

“There were also widespread violence and other irregularities in polling units in Ukanafun and other local government areas across the state.

“In most part of Ukanafun, INEC staff clearly took side and refused to be an umpire in the elections.

“In Unit 2 of Ward 10 in Ukanafun, INEC officials refused to record votes for the presidential candidate of the APC.

“For the fact that the elections were so vitiated with irregularities and cannot therefore reflect the free choice and wishes of the people.

“We hereby call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to cancel the elections and reschedule fresh polls that would be conducted within and not in breach of electoral guidelines.”

The party also called for the redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Austin Okojie, for being biased.

Meanwhile, INEC has declared Akpabio winner of Saturday’s election in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.

Akpabio was said to have polled 422,009 votes out of the available 439,449 votes to defeat Chief Inibehe Okorie of the APC with scored 15,152 votes.

wakacome:
Though am an APC supporter and I am sure that BUHARI will win this election but APC can never win in akwaibom state because governor akpabio performed very well in the state and because of that PDP would win more votes than APC in the state.....

alaoeri:
We are less concern about this, all we want is 25% of votes for GMB in Akwa Ibom.