2023: A’Ibom APC Protests Role of INEC in Party’s Affairs
Okon Bassey in Uyo
The All Progressives Congress, Akwa Ibom State chapter has protested against the role played by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)Mr Mike Igini in the political development in the state.
APC youth yesterday stormed the State Office of INEC, protesting alleged bias of the Residents Electoral Commissioner.
The protested youths numbering over one thousand stormed the premises of INEC in the state in many buses chanting “Mike Igini must go,”.
They blocked the entrance of INEC office and prevented staff of the Commission from entering the premises in the morning hours of Wednesday.
Various placards carried inscriptions such as”Igini is biased”, “democracy is not for sale”, “INEC must act now”, “Akwa Ibom REC is compromised”, “Igini don’t kill Akwa Ibom political parties”, “Igini is partisan”, “Igini is a factional Chairman of a party”, among several others.
The State APC Youth Leader, Dr. Awak Clement while speaking with some newsmen lamented that Barr Mike Igini had openly declared war against APC in the state even before the primaries, adding that for peace to reign in the state, the REC should either resign or be sacked.
Clement who appealed to the national headquarters of INEC to take swift action on the matter said Igini is not the only Resident Electoral Commissioner that Nigeria has, adding, “Why should he single himself out to fight APC in the state”
Also speaking, Mr. Ubok-Obong Umoh said the REC should be probed over the comments he made during an interview recently on a national television stations that “APC in the state will not have any candidate for 2023 elections”.
“His statement is unacceptable not just to members of APC but to the generality of the peace-loving people of Akwa Ibom state.We are protesting clear partisanship demonstrated by Barr. Mike Igini” Umoh said.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the youth protest, Barr Mike Igini, dismissed allegations that INEC did not respect the Federal High Court order, and blamed the national leadership for the problem in Akwa Ibom APC.
He stressed that the Genesis of Akwa Ibom APC problem started when the Federal High Court Abuja delivered a judgement declaring Stephen Leo Ntukekpo the state Chairman of the party, even after the appeal Court ordered that the disputing parties should maintain the status quo.
“At the Court of appeal on April 7th 2022 give order to maintain status quo ante, which means that the disputing parties (Akpabio’s f and Akpanudoedehe factions) where they were before the dispute.
“It means Augustine Ekanem will remain in charge, So that Nigerians can know what is going on. And when the court gave order to maintain status quo Ntukekpo has not been sworn in. But four days after, on the 7th he was sworn in by the national leadership of the party in total disregard of the Court of Appeal order to maintain Status quo.
“At this point Nigerians, obviously, who will you say disobeyed court order. It is the party leadership , politicians themselves who went to swear in Stephen Ntukekpo.
“As a Commissíon our commitment to give meaning and purpose to the ballot as the best means of expression of the will of the people in a democracy remains unwavering.
“And it will be very clear that if the institution representing democracy must have a hopeful future, it must be based on the rule of Law.
Does the rule matter in our present democracy, should it be the rule of men or the rule of Law?
“The rule of law is preferable at all times to the rule of individual no matter how magnanimous. And so if democracy must have hopeful future in Akwa Ibom state, in Nigeria, it must be predicated on the rule of law”
