A socio-Political group in Akwa Ibom state has described as unfounded, allegations by the state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) against the elections petitions tribunal.
The Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement, AILM, rreacting to the allegation made during a press briefing on Saturday, advised the APC to exercise restraint and resist from raising false alarm.
In a statement issued by the group’s Secretary General, Samuel Abasiekong Esq., it said that the the claim by the APC against the tribunal was unfounded.
Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the APC, in the press conference claimed that it has established that Hon. Justice Jennifer Mbalamen Ijohor had conflict of interest.
The APC claimed that Ijohor, who is the Chairman of Panel 2, National and State House of Assembly Election Petition in Akwa Ibom State, has a strong family relationship with a PDP stalwart, and so, there is a clear conflict of interest in her work.
However, the sociopolitical group, AILM questioned the timing of the allegations.
“Is it not suspicious that APC and its candidates waited for all its witnesses in the National and State Assembly petition tribunal to runoff their testimonies and the tribunal reached the critical stage of giving judgement before they suddenly began to cry wolf?
“Like we have always stated, the APC in Akwa Ibom State does not have any concrete political structure or real followers except hired crowd and paid agents on social media.
“We are aware that almost all those so called APC candidates for State House of Assembly elections had accepted defeat at the polls, knowing they did not prepare for it and had no money to pay for litigation.
“However, they were all directed to contest their elections in tribunal as their legal expenses will be taken care of by former Managing Director of NDDC, Mr. Nsima Ekere,” the group said.
On the claims of threat to life, AILM questioned the authenticity of these allegations, drawing attention of the public to several antics of the petitioner to have the tribunal relocated from the State.
” We are not surprised by these claims of threat to life
“We wonder if this is not another futile effort to relocate the tribunal because recent intelligence reports exposed how APC chieftains had plotted to create an atmosphere of insecurity in the State in order to force the tribunal to be relocated,” the group queried.
