By Samuel Ogenyi, Uyo
Controversy and condemnation have trailed the creation of 39 new political wards by the Akwa Ibom State Electoral Commission AKISIEC) ahead of the local government elections scheduled for October.
The creation of the new wards which was announced on Sunday by the commission increased the total number of wards in the state from 329 to 368 with 13 wards created in each of the three senatorial districts of the state.
The criticisms and knocks arose from the alleged lopsidedness and marginalisation of some communities and Local Government Areas with large LGAs like Ibiono Ibom expressing discontentment over the exercise.
According to Etoroobong Inyang, a media consultant and public affairs commentator, “this is a clear case of marginalization,AKISIEC has not been able to convincingly explain the parameters deployed in creating additional wards.
“To me it is a clear case of political gerrymandering. In my local government you have some wards with 15 villages while in some favoured LGAs you have some wards with just three villages. Where is the justice and equity.”
Also a councillor from Nsit Ubium Local Government Council, Ekopimo Ekopimo, said the new wards creation is unfair to Nsit Ubium local government area saying that,”Nsit Ubium deserves more than 1 new ward. Let the script be well acted please, if the commission can prove to us that they didn’t do it based on script.
“AKISIEC must show how independent it is is by returning unjustified-merger of Ubium South ward V to Ubium South people.” Ekopimo stated on a facebook post.
In its reaction, the Oron National Forum (ONAF) in a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Ita Ante described the creation of the new ward as lopsided and unjust against the Oron People who are found in five local government areas of the state.
“We therefore condemned in a strongest terms this unjust and unfair allocation of only three (3) wards to Oro ethnic Nationality (Oro Federal Constituency) as against greater numbers given to other groups.
“Oron National Forum (ONAF) in its avowed commitment to Oro meaningful survival and identity in the Nigeria Federation shall continue to resist this gross marginalization against Oro people as enshrined in the famous Oro Bill of Rights proclaimed in 1999.”The statement said.
They demanded that AKISIEC should withdraw immediately the recent wards creation skewed deliberately against Oro people calling on AKISIEC to review the entire exercise in the interest of justice, equity and democracy.
“That in carry out this sensitive matter, AKISIEC should involve all relevant stakeholders to ensure a fair and transparent wards creation exercise in the interest of peace and justice.
“That we call on the State Governor, His Excellency, Mr. Udom Emmanuel to as a matter of urgent importance to intervene in the clear case of injustice and marginalization of Oro people by AKISIEC.” It said.
Similarly, a former Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly and a chieftain of the All Progressives (APC) Congress, Dr Uwem Udoma, faulted the creation of additional 39 wards claiming that the State Electoral Commission does not have such powers, only the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is by law, empowered to do so.
” AKISIEC”, Udoma told newsmen in Uyo, “is not ready to conduct the 2020 local government election because the 2007 AKISIEC law they are quoting, it’s provisions are subject to the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.”
He called on the commission to withdraw the purported creation of new wards as such illegality would not stand legal and judicial scrutiny.
Responding to the criticisms, Aniedi Ikoiwak, chairman of AKSIEC and former Resident Electoral Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, insisted that AKISIEC has the powers to create Electoral Wards but not Polling Units saying there would have been no more auspicious time than now.
” INEC does not have anything to do with wards. INEC creates Polling Units. INEC has nothing to do with wards creation except in the Federal Capital Territory,” Ikoiwak maintained.
He explained that the commission followed the law to create and to realign the new wards in the state.
Criteria for ward creation, Ikoiwak explained is spelt out in the law that set up the commission which he said specifies that there should be creation and realignment of wards in the state every 10 years, and pointed out that the last exercise was about 22 or 24 years ago.
Other criteria taken into consideration during the latest exercise according to the chairman were contiguousness of the wards and number of registered voters.
On the allegation that in Oro nation had only three new wards created or realigned, Ikoiwak underlined that the population of local government areas as well as the population of registered voters werec taken into consideration in creating and realigning new wards.
“I will like to see one local government in Oron that has population close to the local government areas were new wards were created.” Ikoiwak stated.
