By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
The political activities by All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State to dislodge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and occupy the Hilltop Mansion in Uyo has birthed controversies and rejections.
This emerged stronger few hours after its governorship primary election on Friday, held at No 6 Ekpo Obot Street, Uyo, where two aspirants, Senator Ita Enang and Mr. Augustine Utuk protested and rejected the outcome of the exercise that Mr. Akan Udofia was declared winner in one of fractional camps
While in another camp which has Senator John James Akpanudoedeghe as a lone aspirant, no election was held at Sheergrace Arena located at Nsikak Eduok Avenue, Uyo, a venue known by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Security for the conduct of governorship primary in the state.
Addressing the delegates and supporters who waited patiently in vain at the venue till about 12 midnight, one of the APC chieftains, Bishop Samuel regretted the pains and agonies they were made to pass through in the course of seeking to produce the gubernatorial flag-bearer of the Party for the state.
Akpan who pleaded with the supporters to remain calm, however called on the National Chairman of the Party to reschedule a date for the primary as the electoral panel which has Mr. Omoba Tunde Ajibulu as chairman, with Ms Evelyn Okere as Secretary refused to come to the venue and conduct the exercise.
Bishop Akpan, who spoke on behalf Senator Akpanudoedeghe said that the Ajibulu led electoral panel who refused to come to Sheergrace Arena venue, claimed that they were directed by the National Chairman of the Party to conduct the primary at Party Secretariat in Uyo instead.
He wondered why the National Chairman of the Party, could take pleasure in creating disharmony in APC in the state, just to favour a particular individual and his interest.
Our Correspondent who was there, observed the presence of the officials of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini and security operatives led by the Commissioner of Police, CP Andrew Amiengheme who waited for over seven hours in vain before leaving.
Whereas the earlier two aggrieved governorship aspirants, Ita Enang and Augustine Utuk from the other camp, who jointly addressed a press conference in Uyo on Friday shortly after Mr Udofia was declared the gubernatorial flag-bearer of the Party, noted that the outcome of the exercise was not in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.
They disclosed that Akan Udofia was not a member of APC in his ward and claimed also that the conduct of the primary election was heavily stage-managed to have a pre-determined outcome in favour of the purported winner.
According to them, all the aggrieved aspirants have petitioned the National Executive Council (NEC) of the APC, with a view to averting the crises which, they observed , could lead to the party not having a governorship candidate as was the case in Zamfara and Rivers state in 2019 .
According to Enang and Utuk, the purported winner of APC primaries in Akwa Ibom was on ballot paper of PDP governorship primaries conducted at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Wednesday May 25, 2022 and wondered how he sauntered into the venue of APC primaries and later emerged the winner.
The duo insisted that such irregularities and broad-day robbery can dim the chances of APC in 2023.
“The name Akan Udofia, was a PDP member and governorship aspirant and had never defected and was given the ticket at a primary that was not monitored and supervised by INEC and security agencies.
“By God’s grace, we all filed out, praying and wishing that one of us shall emerge in a duly conducted process. Unfortunately, that dream for a peaceful and orderly conduct did not happen.
Pushing further their query against the process by which the acclaimed winner of the primaries emerged in the state, they said, “The guidelines for the conduct of the primaries in the APC stipulates that aspirants should be furnished with delegates list. The party did not make this important document available to us. Only one aspirant was supplied the delegate lists in the state, thus hedging the entire process in his favour. ”
Senator Enang recalled that while party delegates and supporters were already at the venue of the primary, delegate tags were being issued at the Country home of Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio in Ukana in Essien Udim council area of the state, adding that accreditation of delegates was not supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) as required by law.
He explained that the irregularities that greeted the conduct of the APC primaries was perfected from the Akwa Ibom Airport where the election officials were ambushed by paid thugs.
“The pandemonium had lasted for over four hours before the team chaired by Omoba Tunde Ajibulu, with Ms Evelyn Okere as Secretary, were rescued by officials of the Department of State Services.”
He therefore, urged the national leadership of the APC and other stakeholders to explore on a round table discussion, a possible window to address the problem to avoid experience of 2019 in Zamfara and Rivers State
