The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Akwa Ibom State chapter has said the reason the All Progressives Congress, APC, was unable to win the 2019 polls in the state was it’s over reliance on ‘federal might’ to rig the elections in their favor, which according to them was totally resisted by the people.
The PDP stated this in reaction to the allegation of mandate theft and instigation of violence leveled against it by the APC and its stakeholders during a press conference on Tuesday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.
PDP through its Publicity Secretary in the state, Comrade Ini Ememobong, in a statement tagged “When Losers Tell Lies” said the APC never prepared for the elections, stressing that when other political parties were busy campaigning and soliciting for votes from Akwa Ibom people, APC was busy planning on how to unleash mayhem and rig the elections.
He, however, said PDP was ready to confront the APC with facts and evidences at the tribunal.
Giving instances on how the APC fared in some local governments of the state during the governorship elections on Saturday, Ememobong said: “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.
“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,” the party said.
Taking on Uruan Local Government Area, the party said the duo of Hon. Bassey Etim and Hon. Kufre Etuk unleashed mayhem on anybody opposing their possession of electoral materials. Barr. Raymond Umoiyak, according to the report is currently hospitalized because of wounds sustained from shooting done by thugs brought by Kufre Etuk.
“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 disrupted elections, carried away materials or chased away members of other parties from the polling units.
“In Mbo, Victor Antai is reported to have cruised around the entire Oro nation with soldiers and policemen, hijacking materials.
“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 forward 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.”
The party, therefore, used the occasion to dedicate the victory of Governor Udom Emmanuel and other candidates of the party to God Almighty and to Akwa Ibom people who braved all odds to vote and defend the votes to the point of final announcement, pledging that the government will continually work for the benefit of Akwa Ibom people and not few self-seeking persons.
