From: Joe Effiong, Uyo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed the Akwa Ibom State local government election, describing the exercise as sham and a shame.
The party had earlier alleged that there was a grand design by the state electoral commission and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the election in favour of the PDP.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom and Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ekere said the election was not just a farce but a daylight political robbery.
Ekere, who was furious after waiting for voting materials that did not come as at 2.30pm in his ward at Edemaya, told Sunday Sun that there was no election in the state, adding that the state government, PDP and AKISIEC had concluded plan not to conduct election in the state.
According to him, what happened in his ward was replicated in all wards across the Akwa Ibom.
“The entire process is a farce as there is no materials for election even in my ward. I’m waiting for materials to come to the polling unit here so that I can go and vote.
“ Democracy is having people to have their way, especially in local government which is the grassroots. Look at my village there is no materials on ground and the people have been waiting since 8am today,” Ekere said
He said that AKISIEC in his local government wanted to release half of the materials and the people rejected it, adding that what happened was so glaring that states’ electoral commission could not conduct free and fair council polls.
He said he would support the constitutional amendment to allow INEC conduct local government elections across the states of the federation and noted that the Akwa Ibom people have rejected PDP that was the reason why they did not want the electorate to exercise their franchise in the council poll.
“There is no other state that opposition is as strong as APC in Akwa Ibom State. Majority of Akwa Ibom people have rejected PDP and they are aware. That is why they don’t to put election on ground for people to vote.
“They have already computed the results and even in my ward that AKISIEC didn’t bring materials, the results will be announced.”
An election observer and member of the Coalition of Civil Societies, Mr. Alli Abaca, said their visits to all the polling units across the state showed that there were no voting materials at the polling units.
However, the Publicity Secretary of PDP in the state, Mr Ini Ememobong, said that the election was free and fair.
Ememobong said that APC did not prepare for the local government election as they did not even want on campaign to canvass for votes.
He said that late arrival of election materials to some polling units was just exceptions, not applicable to APC’s stronghold alone.
But his APC counterpart, Mr. Bassey Edet said there was no election in his native Urue Offong/Uruko as well as Mbo local government areas were he said elections materials were hijacked by PDP agents and thug.