Senators representing Akwa-Ibom State in the National Assembly have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the April 11 gubernatorial and State Assembly elections in the state following allegations of rigging, ballot box stuffing and intimidation.
The lawmakers, who are members of the Akwa-Ibom caucus of the National Assembly while briefing journalists, described the April exercise as a ‘nullity’, maintaining that no election took place in the state Akwa Ibom North East), Helen Esuene (LP, Akwa Ibom South) and Aloysius Etok (PDP, Akwa Ibom North).
The federal legislators alleged that no card reader was used in the state during the elections, pointing out that their call was without prejudice to legal challenge.
They argued that if the result stands, “the incoming government may lack credibility.” Enang, who chairs the Rules and Business Committee, insisted
that the machinery of state was deployed for the polls. He said: “The people of Akwa- Ibom prepared for the election, but the institution of state prepared for war. Nothing like elections took place on election day; it was only writing of result sheets.” Esuene, another lawmaker and gubernatorial candidate in the state under the Labour Party, lamented that “issues in the state has gone from bad to worse.” Narrating how elections were conducted last Saturday in Akwa-
Ibom State, Esuene, who is also chairperson, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, said: “After the presidential election, we thought there would be some level of sanity.
What happened on April 11 was daylight robbery. Elections were done in people’s homes. Mercenaries were brought to the state in over 50 buses. If people do this and get away with it, it may lead to full scale war.” According to her, more than half of the polling units did not see election materials.
On his part, Etuk expressed concern at the growing reputation of the state as a crisis-ridden area before the international community. The lawmaker while condemning the entire process leading up to the emergence of Emmanuel Udom as governor-elect under the People’s Democratic Party, called on INEC to cancel the elections and reschedule another exercise.
He recalled that 22 gubernatorial aspirants had left PDP due to alleged injustice meted to them.
