PDP Clears Council Polls in Akwa Ibom

•  APC rejects results

Okon Bassey in Uyo

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has swept all the 31 local government council chairmanship and the 329 councillorship seats in the local government elections held at the weekend in Akwa Ibom State.

The state Chairman of the state Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC), Aniedi Ikoiwak, announced the result in a statement issued yesterday and made available to journalists.

The three paragraphs statement with reference no. AKISIEC/481/Vol.1/111, 2017 dated December 3 and personally signed by the Chairman of the commission did not indicate details of the result.

He said the election was done in line with the relevant laws, and was contested by 12 political parties.
According to him, out of the twelve political parties that contested the election, PDP won the 31 chairmanship and 329 councillorship seats respectively.

“That the said election was contested by twelve political parties and the PDP won the 31 chairmanship and 329 councillorship seats respectively,” the statement stated.

He stressed: “This statement confirms the announcement/declarations made by the authorised Returning Officers in various wards and local government areas”

The AKISIEC boss maintained that “details of scores as submitted by our field officers will be made available by the Field Operations/Logistics Department of the commission.”

He expressed appreciation of the commission to the stakeholders and the people of the state for the good conduct exhibited during and after the elections.

Meanwhile, the Chairmen-elect of the 31 local government areas and all the councillors-elect for the 329 wards have been asked to report to the headquarters of AKISIEC on Udo Udoma Avenue Uyo on today (Monday),December 4, 2017 by 12 noon.

In a separate statement, the Electoral Commissioner, Legal Matters and Public Affairs of the commission, Dr. Faith E. E. Umoh, said the invitation for both the elected chairmen and councillors is for them to collect their certificates of return.

Meanwhile, the main opposition party in the election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has rejected the results.

A statement signed by state Chairman, Mr. Amadu Attai, APC State Caucus, Atuekong Don Etiebet and State Secretary, Mr. Effiong Etok said the election was not conducted in line with the electoral act.
“APC wishes to inform the public that there was no election at all according to the provision of Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

“Moreover, in their quest to rig and announce spurious results, all sensitive materials including results sheet were nowhere to be found.
“The party wishes to inform the security agencies, government of Akwa Ibom State, Federal Government of Nigeria and the public that we reject in its entirety any concocted result that AKISIEC may wish to announce to the public,” the party declared.

The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Ini Ememobong, had in an interview less than 48 hours to the election expressed optimism that PDP will sweep council polls
He had posited that the allegation that PDP was conniving with the AKISIEC to rig council polls can only come from a lazy brain.

“If we want to use AKISIEC to rig the election does it means the headquarters of AKISIEC is now in PDP.
“From series of briefings and meetings with political parties ahead of the election, we know that AKISIEC is better ready than INEC that conducted the 2015 general elections in the country.

“If you recall, two days to the 2015 general elections ballot papers were still in London. Machines didn’t arrive. Judging from pre-election preparations, I think, AKISIEC is better prepare than INEC in the conduct of the 2015 elections in the country.

“We have already won the election judging from our seriousness and commitment into the preparations for the election.

“The December 2, 2017 council elections are just to affirm the crowd at the flag-off of the campaign and the crowd at various campaigns venue across the 31 local government areas and 329 wards of the state.”
“There is no single ward in the entire 329 wards in the state that we have opposed candidate. We have not left anything unturned for this election.

“Our candidates are first class materials. Every PDP chairmanship candidates is governorship materials. We know that PDP will win but what we really want is that the people we select are people who can affect the fortune of the party and people positively.

“We have done everything humanly possible within the ambience of the law for our candidates to win the elections.
Speaking on likely violence in the election, Ememobong argued that “PDP is the party to beat at any time in the state hence it cannot employ any form of violence.”

“There is no history of violent in PDP. The preparations of that violent are in the opposition party. Violent is the stock in trade of the opposition
“Violence is the only weapon of the opposition in Akwa Ibom. We have perennially been victims of violence, so we need the security, but if their plan is to use such to suppress us, we will become human shield to oppose such.
“You cannot come from the backdoor to win election. You must work hard to be acceptable to the people,” he stressed.