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Tag: Akwa Ibom

  • Gov. Emmanuel, ex-Minister speak on conduct of elections in Akwa Ibom

    Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for overcoming the card reader challenge that marred the Feb. 23, Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Emmanuel, who is seeking a second term tenure on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said INEC had improved in the use of the card reader during the Governorship/ Houses of Assembly elections in the state.

    He made this known on Saturday while interacting with Newsmen in Onna Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.

    He said: “kudos to INEC for improving on the card reader system for clarification and authentication processes.

    “I want to appreciate the Akwa Ibom people for coming out early today to cast their votes and to patiently wait for counting to begin.

    “I think the accreditation and commencement of voting was early, so far so good, the authentication is a bit better today too, compared to the Feb. 23rd presidential/NASS polls.”

    Meanwhile, Mr Nsima Ekere, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate has called on INEC to cancel the result of any polling unit where there was violence or hijacking of materials.

    Ekere made this known shortly after he exercised his civic right at Edemeya ward 1, unit 004, Ikot Abasi Local government Area of Akwa Ibom State, around 10:49 am.

    The APC candidate, who lamented the late arrival of election materials at his unit, also appealed to INEC to extend the period of voting in areas which had the same challenge.

    “INEC should cancel election process anywhere there is violence or hijacking of materials.

    “The election generally is peaceful, but it is unfortunate that materials arrived here late.

    “INEC should make up for the delay by extending voting time anywhere we have such delays,” Ekere said.

    He expressed hope that the APC would emerge victorious at the polls.

    Also, Chief Nduese Essien, a former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, has lauded INEC for the smooth conduct of Saturday’s elections in the State.

    Essien, a two term member of the House of Representatives, gave the commendation while speaking with newsmen in Ward 2, Ntaisip unit, Eket Local Government Area of the state.

    He said that the commission had done well in terms of time.

    “In terms of conduct of INEC staff, they have done very well and that can be ascribed to the Akwa Ibom REC, Mr Mike Ogini,” he said.

    “I have found the atmosphere very conducive, peaceful and no controversies, the turnout is very impressive more than what we had in Feb. 23rd presidential/NASS polls because people are more relaxed to vote whom they want,” Essien said.

    He attributed the massive turn out of voters to awareness amongst the people of the area.

    He noted that the elections were now more orderly than it used to be because of the introduction of card readers and the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs.)

    “That is why I begin to wonder why people will begin to think of snatching ballot boxes because snatched ballot boxes can not be returned to INEC office,” he said.

    He said that “when Nigerians realise that there is no need for snatching ballot boxes, that is when we will have good elections in the country,” he said.

    Essien alleged that the opposition wanted to create violence as a way of postponing the elections.

    “Most of the plans they made are thwarted before today and thugs that they brought were arrested and the arrangement failed,” he alleged.

     

  • I have fulfilled my promise to people of A’Ibom, says REC

    The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom, Mr Mike Igini, says he has delivered on his promise on prompt commencement of voting in the governorship and house of assembly elections in Akwa Ibom.

    Igini made the announcement while inspecting polling stations at some wards in the state on Saturday.

    Igini made the pledge against the backdrop of the delayed kick off of voting during the presidential and national assembly elections in the state on Feb. 23.

    “We are happy that our promise to serve the people in the manner we want to serve them is going on smoothly,” he asserted.

    Igini said that polling officials were on ground since 5 a.m., waiting for voters and not voters waiting for polling officials.

    “This is the promise we gave to the people of the state that today’s governorship and state assembly elections will be prompt and that polling officials alongside materials will be waiting for voters.

    “This is what we have done across the state.”

    He pleaded with voters to eschew violence and to behave orderly so that they could cast their votes at polling stations across the state without any problem.

    “Let us shame those who predicted violence in Akwa Ibom State and show them that we can get it right in a peaceful manner,” he said.

    Party officials were orderly and that voters conducted themselves peacefully at most polling stations visited.

     

  • Akwa Ibom Elections: INEC replaces burnt card readers

    Akwa Ibom Elections: INEC replaces burnt card readers

    INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, said that the body has replaced and reconfigured the 198 card readers that were burnt in Akwa Ibom State.

    Mr Festus Okoye said that in spite of the incident, polls in the state would proceed as scheduled.

    Okoye said the commission witnessed a fire incident its office in lbesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State in the early hours of Friday.

    According to him, several sensitive and non-sensitive materials for Saturday‘s Governorship and State House of Assembly elections which included 198 card readers, the printed register of voters, 13 generating sets as well as several voting cubicles and office equipment were destroyed by the fire.

    Okoye said, “Fortunately, the ballot papers and result sheets for the elections were not affected and are intact.

    “Acting on time, the commission has been able to replace and reconfigure all the destroyed smart card readers and reprinted the register of voters.

    “With the replacement and the salvage of other items, we are pleased to announce that the election will proceed as scheduled.

    “All registered voters in the Local Government Area are therefore requested to turn up to cast their votes between 8 am and 2 pm tomorrow

  • BREAKING: Thugs set INEC office ablaze in Akwa Ibom, card readers burnt

    Political thugs on Friday morning set ablaze the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom.

    TheNewsGuru learnt that the thugs who are suspected to be working for one of the strong politicians in the area made the move in a bid to force the postponement of the elections in the state

    The setting ablaze of the INEC office reportedly happened around 3:45 am.

    Though the fire was put out by timely intervention, some card readers were burnt while other sensitive election materials were saved.

  • We will reclaim our mandate in A’Ibom – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday said that the votes of the Akwa Ibom people allegedly stolen during the Presidential and National Assembly elections of Feb. 23, would be reclaimed.

    Buhari said this during a town hall meeting held in Uyo to thank the people of the state for casting their votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the elections.

    Buhari, who was represented by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo encouraged the people to defend their votes during the coming Governorship and House of Assembly Elections.

    He decried the circumstances, under which Sen. Godswill Akpabio lost his re-election into the senate in spite of his popularity across the state.

    He alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) robbed him and the party of victory.

    The president assured Akwa Ibom people that all the wrongdoings during the Presidential and National Assembly elections would be addressed.

    “What happened on the 23rd of February was robbery. The votes of the people were stolen, but we are not deterred.

    “The president sent me to thank you today. We are going to make sure that everything that was stolen on the February 23 would be restored.

    “It is not possible that Sen. Godwill Akpabio lost. We are in no doubt that Senator Akpabio is the elected senator of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.

    “I and Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the party have been in the opposition for long and we cannot be defeated anymore.

    “Everyone of you should go out to vote on Saturday and defend your votes, we cannot be cheated; not only you but tell your neighbours to vote for Obong Nsima Ekere and all APC candidates.

    “Wait for your votes to be counted. It is the duty of the Federal Government to provide security and we will do that. We will recover every one of our votes, ” he said.

    The National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said the party was not in the state to lament but to appreciate the people of the state for doing their jobs and voting President Buhari and Prof. Osinbajo.

    He alleged that INEC colluded with some of the electoral officers to deny the state of its electoral victory on Feb 23, even though the people voted for APC.

    “We have not come here to lament that our mandate was on February 23. We have come to thank you that you voted for President Buhari, and all members of the party. You did your job but some armed robbers in INEC stole your votes.

    “You think that those who stole your votes will have peace? We have come to reaffirm our commitment with democracy.

    “We have come to affirm that no robber will go unpunished, but when an electoral umpire is corrupt and collude with the opposition, we have the witnesses and we have lawyers to deal with that.

    “On Saturday we are not going to wait for them to steal out votes. We call on Akwa Ibom people to protect their votes. We must maintain our sanity even in this hour of provocation.

    “Those who committed democratic abortion would be brought to book,” Oshiomhole said.

    The APC governorship candidate in the state, Mr Nsima Ekere, encouraged the people not to be deterred by the Feb. 23 elections, but to go out and vote during the March 9 elections, saying the party was sure of victory.

    He said that the people of the state were in need of change, as demonstrated by him during his campaign across the 31 local government areas of the state.

    He assured the president that after March 9 elections, Akwa Ibom would not be in the opposition but would be reunited with the centre

    “Thank you for what you are doing for APC. The people voted for you, that vote is a re-validation of what the people want. You put Nigeria’s economy back on track.

    “We are here because we have faith in you and Mr President, the opposition and INEC have no choice than to give us back our mandate.

    “Whosoever shall attempt to work against the collective will of Akwa Ibom people, we shall collectively resist.

    “We send a message to the electoral umpire and the other parties that they must respect the votes of the people, every vote must count. Akwa Ibom people love APC, ” Ekere said.

  • A’Ibom REC denies manipulating Presidential, National Assembly results to favour PDP

    A’Ibom REC denies manipulating Presidential, National Assembly results to favour PDP

    Mr. Mike Igini, the Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner has denied manipulating the Presidential and National Assembly election results in the state.

    Igini made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Uyo on Saturday.

    He said that the allegation was not true and that the election was not manipulated.

    Igini said that elections were won and lost at the polling units, saying the REC would not be at the polling units from the beginning to the close of the polls.

    “The allegations are incorrect, we have a total of 2,980 polling units, I was not in any these polling units from the opening to the close of the polls.

    “I have no vote to give nor will I allow anybody to manipulate the election process,” Igini said.

    He noted that the commission had put in place, anti-rigging devices to check election malpractices in the state.

    Igini explained that the strength of the political parties were determined on the election day at the polling units.

    The REC said that henceforth, no politician would have access to poll officials in the state.

    “No politician will know the level of presiding and collation officers in the state.

    “They can no longer be the ones to supply ad hoc staff that function in those categories,” Igini said.

    The Akwa Ibom REC noted that the era where politicians were writing results had ended in Akwa Ibom, alleging that politicians before now carried result sheets to their houses and re-wrote results.

    “What they used to do in time past is to write results but it is now that they allow people to vote their conscience.

    “The era of writing results on behalf of the good people of Akwa Ibom is gone forever,” Igini said.

    Reacting, Senator Ita Enang, the Senior Special Adviser to President Buhari on National Assembly Matters, said that there were several irregularities during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

    “The results in Akwa Ibom do not in any manner reflect the true voting and will of the people of the state.

    “It was heavily and massively manipulated by the PDP in collusion with INEC’s permanent and ad hoc staff in the state.

    “Throughout the course of the campaign, I try to personally avoid castigating INEC, I have aligned myself with all the complains that we as a party made against the Akwa Ibom REC.

    “And I have thought that in the course of the elections that he will display what I thought I knew about him in terms of integrity but the last elections of February 23, is the lowest low,” Enang alleged.

     

  • Nobody declared winner in A’Ibom North West – REC

    Nobody declared winner in A’Ibom North West – REC

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom, Mr Mike Igini, has said that the Commission has not declared a winner in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District election.

    Igini said this at the resumption of collation of results for the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Uyo on Monday.

    There have been speculations in the social media that Sen. Godswill Akapbio, who defected from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress lost the election to the PDP candidate, Mr Chris Ekpenyong.

    While Akpabio is a former governor of the state, Ekpenyong was a deputy governor under the administration of Chief Victor Attah from 1999 to 2007.

    The REC, however, dispelled the rumour going round on the social media, saying: “Nobody has declared election result in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.’’

    The commissioner said that the election at Udung Uko Local Government Area had been cancelled due to violence and ballot box snatching.

    Igini said the collation officer for the local government area,Mr Emeka Adizua, was held hostage on Saturday until the police rescued him on Sunday.

    The collation of results for the presidential election in Akwa Ibom is still ongoing.

  • PDP sweeps Akwa Ibom’s Etinan, Eket federal constituencies

    Mr Onofiok Luke, Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly (PDP) has emerged the winner of Saturday’s Etinan Federal Constituency election.

    Announcing the result, the Returning Officer, Prof. Isongesit Solomon, said on Sunday that Luke polled 44,830 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Dan Akpan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 15,800 votes.

    Addressing his supporters on Sunday after being declared winner by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Etinan, Luke commended President Muhammadu Buhari for keeping to his words of ensuring that the election was free, fair and peaceful.

    Luke also commended INEC and security agencies for efforts in guarding electoral materials.

    He assured his supporters and Akwa Ibom people of his readiness to offer them a dependable voice in the National Assembly.

    He said: ”I will justify the confidence reposed in me by the masses.”

    Luke dedicated his victory to God, his family, PDP and his supporters.

    Etinan Federal Constituency is made up of Etinan, Nsit Ibom and Nsit Ubium LGAs.

    INEC declares PDP winner of Eket Federal Constituency, A’Ibom

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr Patrick Ifon, the House of Representatives candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the Eket Federal Constituency election held on Saturday.

    Announcing the results, the Returning Officer, Prof. Bassey Antia of the University of Uyo, said that Patrick Ifon polled 61, 580 votes to defeat his closest rival Akpabio Kufre of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 11, 263 votes.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the results was announced at Eket Senatorial District Collation Centre on Monday.

    Addressing his supporters, Ifon, the Eket federal constituency member elect, thanked the constituents for being steadfast in their quest to ensure the people’s will prevailed.

    “This is a collective victory in the face of threatening assertions by the opposition.

    “It is a victory attributed to God, the people and a proof that Akwa Ibom is PDP, ” he said.

    He commended INEC for the peaceful process but decried the malfunctioning of the card readers that disenfranchised a lot of eligible voters from voting.

    “I commend INEC for the peaceful process but I urge them to do better during the Governorship and State Assembly elections,“ he said.

    Ifon promised his constituents a better representation, saying since the victory was a collective one, the representation would as well be collective.

    He further charged the electorate not to be deterred in replicating the same love shown to him to the Governor and all State Assembly candidates of the PDP on March 9.

    Eket Federal Constituency is made up of Eket, Esit Eket, Onna and Ibeno.

     

  • 2019 elections: Senator denies snatching ballot boxes

    Sen. Ita Enang, the Senior Special Adviser to President Buhari on National Assembly Matters has denied allegations that he hijacked ballot boxes in Akwa Ibom.

    He was reacting to allegations by the electorate at Unit 12, ward 2, Ididep in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of the state where he hails from.

    Chief Anthony Bassey, the Village Elect of Ididep and his people protested over their inability to vote, claiming that Enang hijacked their ballot boxes and took them to his house.

    Bassey alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had disenfranchised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) electorate in Unit 12, ward 2 in Ididep.

    He alleged that Enang brought thugs to beat them when they were trying to protest the situation.

    “Look at my subjects, we all have our PVCs as you can see but we did not vote. We reported to INEC and the police but nothing has been done.

    “See our PVCs, and our fingers. Election is over and Enang is responsible,’’ the village head said.

    Enang confirmed that there was snatching of ballot boxes and violence but, however, explained that he never hijacked the election process as he was not even at the polling units.

    “I cannot hijack ballot boxes, I wasn’t even there when the materials arrived the polling units,’’ Enang said.

    He decried the absence of security personnel in the polling units in Ibiono Ibom LGA, saying that there was so much violence in the area.

    Enang said that there were sporadic gun shots by unknown gunmen and hijacking of ballot boxes by supporters of the opposition party in the state.

    Reacting to the allegation, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Spokesman in the state, Mr Emem Iniobong said Enang had precedence for ballot box snatching as well as diverting voting to his house at Ididep.

    He also alleged that Enang relocated the polling units in the community to his house.

    Iniobong also accused Enang of being responsible for the shootings.

     

  • Gov. Emmanuel commends INEC, complains about aide’s arrest

    Gov Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the improved electoral process, adopted for the 2019 general elections.

    Emmanuel made the commendation after casting his vote in Awa Ward 1, Unit 1, in Onna LGA on Saturday.

    However, the governor said the level of intimidation from security personnel was unbearable.

    He said people in the state, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters were being intimidated and harassed.

    “I urge security officers to maintain peace because Nigeria is a peaceful country and we have adequate rule of law. And if they don’t obey, we will challenge it in the law court. They should stay off intimidations.

    “The level of intimidation in Akwa Ibom is unbearable. People are being intimidated and harassed.

    “If you go to their police cell now, it is filled with PDP supporters, l don’t know whether they have a cell that can take the 2.1 million voters in the state because they all belong to one political party.

    “So if they can arrest the 2.1million, that’s when the elections will be thwarted,” Emmanuel said.

    The governor condemned the arrest of his Senior Special Assistant on security, Capt. Iniobong Ekong by the army.

    He said that if his aide had any question to answer, the police should have been the one to question him and not the army.

    “You cannot have a perfect process because the card readers are man made, but the readers are authentic. Its just the issue of authentication of finger print, which I hope will be promptly rectified to avoid delaying the process.

    “The corps members are well trained but the machines can fail because they are man made.

    “Not that he was picked, I think he was tricked into the army barracks and just kept there.

    “I don’t know what they think one man can do. This is just one human being and we are ready for the election.

    “If he has any issue, I think it is just the police that should have questioned him but why invite him to Six Division, not even the 2 Brigade that is in the state.

    “I doubt the genuineness of such detention. I just don’t want to pre-empt until we check with the army,” he said.