Chairman of Senator Bassey Akpan’s gubenatorial campaign organization, Bishop Andrew Uwanta has described last Saturday’s Ward Delegate Election in Akwa Ibom as a sham, calling for it’s cancellation.
Uwanta told newsmen in Uyo yesterday against the backdrop of protests and agitations against the conduct of the election that the process did not follow the guidelines and provisions of the party’s electoral process.
He maintained that elections were not held in most wards in the state even as the few were it was held was charactised by hijack of materials, imposition and manipulation of the process to favour the aspirant being supported by Governor Udom Emmanuel.
“I was to stand election as an adhoc delegate but unfortunately in my ward materials didn’t come and no officer was posted to that place. But of course I had gone to the state Secretariat of the party but did not see the normal arrangement that were always made before such congresses like bringing materials and posting officers, distributing them according to wards and local governments, of course that did not happen.
“But then I went my ward and waited but no materials arrived and in the presence of observers I asked the ward secretary who didn’t have the result sheet whether he can count and record the process but then where is the form and result sheet.
“So in reality in almost all the wards in Akwa Ibom people who were ready to contest in a free and fair election were denied the opportunity. The government maybe decided to hijack the materials for his favoured aspirant.
“So then there was nothing we could do at that moment, people were denied the chance to be voted for but of course they came to see that the election was not free and fair, materials were hijacked, they stopped somewhere to fill the results. I feel that is not in line with the electoral law and that actually made the election null and void and so anybody who says it was free and fair was a party to the material hijack.” He explained.
He accused those insunuating that Senator Bassey Akpan’s was sponsoring protests of blackmail against the Senator and other aspirants who had bared their minds on the conduct of the ward delegate election.
“I am not aware of any sponsorship of protests but I know that even on election day youths in the state demonstrated about the imposition material hijack and non availability of materials and I think outside the favoured aspirant no other aspirant and I think they are about 14, non endorsed that election, so it’s not even a matter of Akwa Ubong Abasi Campaign Organization. We were all disenfranchised.” He maintained.
He insisted that Akpan has not planned to dump the PDP because he was still confident of winning despite the scheming perpetuated by those loyal to the Governor’s favoured aspirant.
“Of course OBA is contesting and winning in PDP, no other party. I am also a foundation member of the PDP and nothing can take me out of PDP no matter what anybody does.
“It is God who gives power to anybody. No man can act God, no man can give power to anybody except God, what God wants will prevail.” Unwanta concluded.
