2023: Senator Akpan’s Campaign Organization Faults A’Ibom Ward Delegate Election

Okon Bassey in Uyo

The Chairman of Senator Bassey Akpan’s Gubenatorial Campaign Organisation, Bishop Andrew Uwanta, has described last Saturday’s ward delegate election in Akwa Ibom as a sham.

Uwanta called for the cancellation of the election yesterday and told newsmen that the process for the conduct of the election did not follow the guidelines and provisions of the party’s electoral process.

The elections, he claimed, were not held in most wards in the state and were charactised by hijack of materials, imposition and manipulation of the process to favour the aspirant being supported by Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.

He said: “I was to stand election as an ad-hoc delegate but unfortunately in my ward materials didn’t come and no officer was posted to that place. But of course I had gone to the state secretariat of the party but did not see the normal arrangement that were always made before such congresses, like bringing materials and posting officers, distributing them to wards and local governments. 

“But then I went to my ward and waited but no materials arrived and in the presence of observers I asked the ward secretary who didn’t have the result sheet whether he could count and record the process where there is the form and result sheet.

“So in reality in almost all the wards in Akwa Ibom, people who were ready to contest in a free and fair election were denied the opportunity as the government might have decided to hijack the materials for its favoured aspirant.

“So then there was nothing we could do at that moment, people were denied the chance to be voted for but of course they came to see that the election was not free and fair, materials were hijacked, they stopped somewhere to fill the results.

“I feel that is not in line with the electoral law and that actually made the election null and void and so anybody who says it was free and fair was a party to the material hijack.” 

He insisted that Akpan has not planned to dump the PDP because he was still confident of winning despite the scheming perpetuated by those loyal to the governor’s favoured aspirant.