By Emeka Samuel
The Peoples Democratic Party, Akwa Ibom State chapter has attributed the failure of the All Progressives Congress in the state in the 2019 elections to their lack of preparedness.
It has also said that the APC was relying on the might of the APC led Federal Government agencies to manipulate the electoral process and produce results in their favour.
Reacting to the accusation of mandate theft by the APC and their stakeholders during a press briefing in Uyo on the PDP through its spokesperson, Barr Ini Ememobong said the PDP remained ready to confront the APC with fact and evidences at the Tribunal.
Emomobong explained that while others were preparing for the elections, the APC rather devoted its effort into plotting how to rig and hire armed thugs to unleash mayhem on electorates and INEC officials.
“The entire world, we are sure, was shocked yesterday by the press statement issued by the State Chairman of the broom-wielding party, Ini Okopido and the subsequent press conference hosted by the duo of Obong Nsima Ekere and Chief Godswill Akpabio alleging that they won in 26 local government areas of the state. This is surely the best example of the proverbial living in fool’s paradise.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we must state that the APC lost in all the local government areas including Essien Udim and Ikot Abasi local Government areas. In Essien Udim, materials in Ekpeyong ward were hijacked by APC agents at the voting units in independence high school, thugs and policemen sympathetic to Senator Akpabio mounted the gates and prevented PDP supporters from gaining access to the venue.
“The thugs further unleashed unmitigated physical attack on journalists and observers, Demola, the TVC correspondent who was there to cover the elections was severely beaten up and chased away. In Ukana East, the Personal Assistant to Senator Akpabio, Emmanuel Inyangetoh accompanied by over 49 police officers and 60 thugs, went unit to unit packing electoral materials which were taken to independence high school,where thumb printing was recklessly done.
” As if that was not enough, the INEC office in the LGA was kept under siege by Chief Godswill Akpabio, who physically assaulted the Electoral Officer and threatened the collation officer to do his bidding. He filled the result sheets with his hand and forced the presiding officers to sign. These facts are alive and at the tribunal, we will avail the court. The entire world noted the delay with which it took for Essien Udim to collate and transmit results, all because of Senator Akpabio’s unwholesome interference.
“In Ikot Abasi local Government Area, APC thugs were on rampage carting away electoral materials and personnel and taking them to Ekere’s residence, where thumb printing was done. Even in Nsima Ekere’s Unit, pictorial evidence abound to show armed soldiers arranging the voting queue to ensure that PDP supporters did not vote. In units 2,6 and other units in ward 7 thugs led by Ernest Ntuk hijacked ballot boxes and electoral personnel, delivering them at the residence of Ekere.” Emomobong said.
He further recalled how APC chieftains in ithet parts of the state tried to intimidate voters with armed thugs.
“In Ikono local Government Area, Edidiong Idiong, who was the Federal Constituency candidate of the APC, went in company of armed policemen and thugs to shoot and hijack ballot boxes and result sheets. Senator Aloysuis Etok took some thugs to his village to harass voters, but met a stiff resistance from the villagers.
“In Ini, an APC chieftain, Goddy Udoudo aka mentor, accompanied by thugs hijacked and destroyed electoral materials. He was arrested with a pistol and taken to the Police headquarters at odoro Ikpe.
“In Uyo, Prof. Chris Ekong, Perry Ntuk and other APC chieftains either disrupted elections, carried away materials or chased away members of other parties from the polling units.
“In Etim Ekpo local government area, evidence abound to the fact Rt. Hon.Emmanuel Ekon and DIG Ekpoudom were in a competition for the best material hijacker and rigger. While Ekpoudom took materials for ward 5,Ekon took materials for wards 9,10 and 11 to his house in Iwukem, thereby claiming the price.
These are just few of the places where APC orchestrated electoral fraud of unimaginable proportions”. It added
The PDP said their opponent had planned to bribe electoral and collation officers who were changed shortly before the election hence their blame of the State INEC REC forghejir woes.
“As a part of the plan, the APC had printed ballot papers which they gave to Bishop Samuel Akpan to organize the thumb printing session. Bishop Akpan ferried the materials to a location in calabar, cross River state, where he employed people to do the thumb printing. To clear the issue of card readers, Obong Nsima Ekere held a meeting with RATECHs and paid them 1,000 USD each at a location in D Line Ewet Housing Estate beside Tender Heart schools.
“At the payment point were Kufre Etuk, Idongesit Ituen and Uyo Nathaniel. On Wednesday night, Obong Nsima Ekere met with Returning and collation officers coordinated by Associate Professor Valerie Solomon of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Uyo.
“At the meeting, held at the residence of Obong Umana Okon Umana, Nsima Ekere promised to pay all ward collation officers 1 million naira each, while local government collation and returning officers were to collect 3 million naira each. He completely monitised the entire process, thinking in like manner like his boss, who thinks that what money cannot do, more money can do.
“The news of this uncommon bribery filtered out and may have been the reason why the collation and returning officers were changed. That is the one of the new reasons why Senator Akpabio and Nsima Ekere are angry with Igini for changing collation and returning officers.
“We had notified the world that Nsima Ekere was in talks with militants in a bid to terrorize the elections. Evidence surfaced days ago in the leaked audio tape where he is heard negotiation with militants to secure their services for the elections. He offered 25m for 20 hilux vehicles, men and tools which were referred to as walking sticks and GP meaning AK 47 riffles and General Purpose Machine Guns. In that conversation, they were heard plotting to bomb the vehicle of the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, in a bid to scare him.” He said.
