Akpabio Vs Ekpeyong: Court Has Justified Us – INEC

By Sunday Christopher

THE Independent National Electoral Commission, Akwa Ibom State has lauded the decision of the Court of Appeal for a rerun of the National Assembly and State Constituency elections in Essien Udim Local Government Area saying the decision justified the commission’s earlier decision not to honour results procured by Senator Godswil Akpabio.

Affirming that the election in the Local Government Area was heavily compromised by thugs, the commission said the court’s decision confirmed the propriety of the commission especially as the polls in the other nine Local Government Area were upheld.

Noting how a prominent political actor in Essien Udim sought to compromise the election in the area, the commission in a statement signed by its Public Affairs Officer in the State, Mr. Don Etukudo said:

“The Court of Appeal in Calabar has affirmed the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the State that the widespread violence and irregularities during elections in Essien Udim LGA, had vitiated the outcome of the elections in that LGA. 

‘The Court re-affirmed as valid and preserved the elections as declared by the Commission in 9 out of the 10 LGAs that make up Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial district. 

“It, however, ordered a rerun of the Senatorial election within 90 days in Essien Udim LGA ONLY, where the Commission had decried the massive rigging and manipulations that culminated in the dubious award of 61,329 votes to Senator Akpabio alone in the LGA, intended to upturn the results of the other 9 LGAs.

“This was when the accreditation figure from the Smart Card Readers (SCRs), confirmed by ticks on the Voter Register for the entire Essien Udim stood at just 19,455. The Commission rejected this travesty and maintained its position despite pressure, blackmail and threats to lives of lNEC officials

“The Court also ordered fresh elections in the same Essien Udim LGA in respect of the House of Representatives seat while upholding elections in Ikot Ekpene and Obot Akara, the other two LGAs that constitute the Federal Constituency. The State Constituency judgment is being awaited”

Noting how thugs were led to compromise the election in the state, he said:

“The brigandage got to a climax when thugs were led to overrun INEC office in the LGA. Staff were held hostage for hours, TVC Television news crew and even foreign observers were assaulted while they fretfully doctored election results

“The decision of the Commission not to condone or reward the impunity in Essien Udim was earlier upheld by the Elections Petition Tribunal in Uyo before the appeal.

“This affirmation of the Commission’s position as exemplified by the Appeal Court ruling is victory for the electoral process and is heartily welcomed by the Commission.

“Details pertaining to the rerun elections shall be announced by the Commission at a later date.”

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