Governor Godswill Akpabio of Peoples Democratic Party has been officially declared winner of the Akwa Ibom West Senatorial seat, amidst calls by the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom for the cancellation of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
According to INEC, Akpabio Polled 422,009 votes to emerge winner of Saturday’s election in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.
The total number of votes cast in the district was 439,449 votes, leaving Chief Inibehe Okorie of the APC with just 15,152 votes.
The state Chairman of the APC, Dr. Amadu Atai, has however called on INEC to cancel the polls while briefing newsmen in Uyo on Sunday.
Atai is alleging that in virtually every polling unit in Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District, result sheets were not available.
He said the party, after a review of the field reports on the elections across the state, has come to the conclusion that the elections were fraught with irregularities and should be cancelled.
For him, the polls were not conducted in accordance with extant electoral laws and guidelines especially as it concerned non-availability of the result sheets at polling centres.
He said that that some voters at polling units in the affected senatorial district insisted that they would not vote except result sheets were provided, the INEC officials later supplied the area with fake result sheets, which obviously lacked the barcode that the original result sheet had.
He said, “The experience in Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District was replicated in most polling units in Akwa Ibom North West and Akwa Ibom South senatorial districts, respectively. “Most of the polling units did not have result sheets. “We recall that only yesterday (Friday) we issued a press statement alerting the world to the fact that the PDP had colluded with INEC officials to procure original result sheets which were already being filled up with fake results.
“The elections were marred by other forms of irregularities. “In Ibesikpo Asutan local government area, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the administration of Godswill Akpabio, Prince Uwem Ita Etuk, went around with policemen and thugs beating up and maiming people. “There were also widespread violence and other irregularities in polling units in Ukanafun and other local government areas across the state.
“In most part of Ukanafun, INEC staff clearly took side and refused to be an umpire in the elections. “In Unit 2 of Ward 10 in Ukanafun, INEC officials refused to record votes for the presidential candidate of the APC. “For the fact that the elections were so vitiated with irregularities and cannot therefore reflect the free choice and wishes of the people. “We hereby call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to cancel the elections and reschedule fresh polls that would be conducted within and not in breach of electoral guidelines.”
The party also called for the redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Austin Okojie, accusing him of being biased.
