ABUJA – Akwa Ibom senators in the National Assembly yesterday, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to cancel the April 11 gubernatorial and State Assembly elections for want of transparency and credibility.
They also alleged that no card reader was used in the state during the elections, a flouting of the directive of INEC
Sen. Aloysious Etuk ( North West PDP) leading Sen. Ita Enang ( Akwa Ibom North east APC) and Sen. Helen Esuene (Akwa Ibom South Labour party) in a press briefing argued that there was no election in Akwa-Ibom and that the result announced should be cancelled.
According to them,mercenaries were brought into the state wearing uniforms and carrying arms to intimidate voters and if this is not checked it’s going to get worse as elections in the state will turn to a full scale war
Senator Etuk lamented that he is pained by the way Akwa Ibom have been projected to the world and condemned the presentation of the state to the outside world
He said “as a member of PDP,I will like elections to be free and fair and we are pained by the bad name given to our state. Irrespective of parties, we condemn the election process and its outcome. I want INEC to accept that what happened on election day is wrong.”
In his submission Senator Enang added that the people of Akwa Ibom state were prepared to vote but the leadership of the state prepared for war
“There was no election so no results should have been announced. We believed INEC that card readers will be used but that was not the case in Akwa Ibom. ”
“INEC should withdraw their announcement and allow the people the privilege to vote and chose who governs them
He also called on security agencies to mop up arms in the state and warned that the proliferation of arms during the elections in the state if not checked will lead to an implosion
On her part,Senator Helen Esuene expressed disappointment in the lack of transparency and downright impunity during the elections
She described what happened in Akwa Ibom on April 11 as a brazen daylight robbery as elections did not hold in most units in the state’. ” what happened in Akwa Ibom is not elections, INEC should have the courage to say this is wrong, we cannot continue like this “
Attahiru Jega
