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Joe Effiong, Uyo and Jude Okoro, Calabar
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the governorship and the House of Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
In Akwa Ibom, the APC won one House of Assembly seat, which is Essien Udim State Constituency while the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won the remaining 25 seats.
Similarly, in the governorship, Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel of the PDP trounced his APC opponent, Obong Nsima Ekere with 519,712 against Ekere’s 171, 778, with a margin of 347,734 votes.
APC state Chairman, Mr. Ini Okopido. in company with the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, former minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Don Etiebet and many others, told newsmen at a press conference in Uyo, the state capital, that the party rejected the election results which they described as “sham and fictitious.”
Okopido specifically blamed the party’s electoral woes on the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC), especially the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini.
“Recall, gentlemen of the press, that the APC in the state had maintained its lack of confidence in the electoral umpire, INEC…
“We had told the world that INEC in Akwa Ibom State had no credibility and integrity to deliver free, fair and credible elections to the people of our state. Our party has been vindicated.
“The Commission, in collusion with the PDP, committed an electoral coup against the people of Akwa Ibom State by publishing and announcing such results that had no bearing with the results as counted and announced at the various units in the state.
“INEC, partnering with the PDP simply changed the figures that were clearly at variance with the results counted and announced at the polling units in the state as obtained by our agents at the units.
“The result of the governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state, as obtained from our agents across the state, clearly shows that the APCwon in 26, out of the 31 local government areas of the state. The result showed a remarkable closeness in the number of votes polled by each of the two major political parties.
“Despite all these, Akwa Ibom people still went ahead to reject the PDP and voted massively for the APC, thus the overwhelming victory they gave to the APC.”
In Cross River, APC based its rejection on discrepancies in figures.
Besides, the party decried the alleged detention of their ddeputy governorship candidate, Ntufam Ekpo Okon, and the state Secretary of the party, Victor Ebong.
In a statement signed by the acting Chairman of the party, Sir John Ochala, he said the state secretary was held hostage by the military including the deputy governorship candidate who was also held hostage throughout the exercise by the Military and was denied movement in his unit.
Ochalla said: “The APC, Cross River state, hereby informs the general public that we dissociate ourselves from this rape on democracy in the name of governorship and state house of assembly elections.
“We were all witnesses to the day light robbery of our collective will and mandate, led by the PDP state government in active connivance with the INEC and security operatives…
“We call on all APC members and well-wishers to remain calm and go about their lawful duties, without hindrance, while the party leadership explores all avenues within legal limits to correct this aberration.”
