Eyiboh Faults Aspirants Claiming Winner of APC Eket Federal Constituency Ticket

Okon Bassey in Uyo

Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, who emerged the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Eket Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State, has challenged his opponents to show present proof that they won the party’s primary in state.

Checks showed that the APC’s primary conducted on May 27, 2022, for the constituency produced different outcomes as two aspirants also laid claim to victories in parallel primaries.

But Eyiboh, who was declared the winner in one of parallel primaries, has challenged his opponents to state the election committee panel that conducted their primaries at a briefing in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, yesterday.

He admonished his opponent that elections are not conducted with a piece of paper but with sensitive election’s materials and ballot papers which are used in determining the authenticity of the election.

He said: “There was a panel constituted by the APC to go and conduct the primaries, where was the panel? And I heard people saying that there was a parallel primary. But who were the team, the panel that came to conduct it?

“That is number one question and it’s not a rhetorical question, it must be answered. Number two, who were the people that conducted the other primaries?

“Do people just take a piece of paper and go and conduct primary? No! There are sensitive materials where results are recorded and announced. These are things you use in determining the authenticity of who is doing what.

“The panel who produce the results and the other sets of people who were holding a convention of undisclosed purpose, you don’t even bother to find out what is the result of what they did, who conducted it, let them announce it and put the names of the panel who disclosed it.

“These are the things we need to be aware of. There is one APC, there was one primary conducted and there was a result.”

The former parliamentarian also debunked insinuations that factions exist in the state chapter of APC. 

He said: “There are no factions in APC. There is only one APC headed by Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and if you know any other one, you can bring it up.

“The law recognises only one APC. So, whoever is delegated by the instrument of the APC is the agent of the APC. So, if you agree that Adamu is the national chairman of the party, what is the structure of APC in Akwa Ibom State?

“We have Mr. Austin Ekanem, and we have Mr. Stephen Ntuekpo, and the matter went to the Federal High Court, which gave a judgment and the party headed by Abdullahi Adamu recognised the Stephen Ntuekpo-led executive committee by the judgment of the court.

“There is no other superior judgment. And after that he went ahead to admit him on oath as the chairman of the party.

“This is very clear. Other parties went to court even when they were not interested party as it were at the court of first instance, the names and the persons were not mentioned. The parties before the court are the court of first instance. So, the court of appeal is asking for status quo to be maintained and what does that mean?

“Where were you before coming here? Where were they at the point of judgment at the Federal High Court? So, Ntuekpo is the state chairman of the party he was the one declared by the court.

“Whether the court did what it in good faith is not a subject for you and I to debate, it is a subject of appeal and unless a superior court of competent jurisdiction decides otherwise, any other who is doing it is doing an ostrich dance in the theatre of the absurd.”