By Emeka Samuel, Uyo
A group of eminent elders of Akwa Ibom under the aegis of the Akwa
Ibom Leaders Vanguard has expressed doubts over the ability of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct credible
polls in Nigeria.
They have also warned of dire consequences if the Inspector General of
Police would go ahead to establish an anti terrorism unit in the state
saying that there is no justification for such a unit in a state
acclaimed by security agencies to be one of the most peaceful in the
country.
Spokesperson for the group Senator Anietie Okon told correspondents in
Uyo yesterday that recent actions by INEC including the appointment of
Mrs Amina Zakari, a relative of President Muhammadu Buhari as national
collation officer have shown that the electoral umpire lack the
capacity to withstand pressures from vested interests.
“INEC said that they want to conduct a free, fair and credible
election.We have been waiting patiently to see the actions of the
federal might as far as this election is concerned.
“We see that there is no way that INEC can conduct election to be
free, fair and credible. We are anticipating that the election cannot
be free, fair and credible. The recent appointment of Hajia Amina
Zakari as the National Collation Officer has worsened our expectations
of credible polls in the country.
“Recently, we have been told that the governorship candidate of APC
have recruited APC members to be corpers. Changing corpers uniform
with APC members. So how can such election be credible? We the elders
of Akwa Ibom are worried.” He said.
He maintained that terrorism in the country have been constrained to
the north east and more recently to Katsina state and accused the
police authorities of acting a script to assist the APC wield their
much vaunted Federal might on the state.
“Recent security challenges in Zamfara and Kaduna states had
necessitated the cal for help by the Governors of those states to our
security forces to help forestall and curb the wild fire of insurgency
rapidly spreading across theses states.
“The most embarrassing affront being the invasion of the President
home sate by theses marauding terrorists.
“The above named states are the main theatres of war of insurgency. It
is therefore shocking that most appalling that our security resources
are being wrongly allocated through the ironic proposal to set up an
anti-terrorism Unit in Akwa Ibom state, several thousand miles away
from the insurgency and terrorism prone locations mentioned
above”.Okon stated.
They recalled that four years ago when the federal government wanted
to set up Nuclear power plant unit in the state they resisted it and
it died a natural death, adding that they would do everything
possible to resist the anti-bomb unit the state.
