Results of the concluded Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections are being collated awaiting final announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom State.
Amidst apathy and poor turnout by voters, the exercise was peaceful and orderly in most parts, but violent and tumultuous in some areas of the state.
Straightnews publisher who led the news crew from Uyo, Abak, Oruk Anam, Ukanafun and other local government areas in the state saw remarkable changes by INEC in the early but timely arrival of officials and election materials at different polling units.
The team observed a drastic behavioural change among most voters in switching from scathing remarks against the present state administration at both public fora and mass media to unusual support of the ageless political party regarded as a ‘religion’ in the state.
As early as 8 a.m on Saturday, most INEC officials had arrived at their duty posts readying to perform their assigned duties.
Along Ring Road, Nung Oku in Uyo, some INEC officials armed with materials arrived early at their duty posts.
From Aka Road to IBB Avenue, some cars and Keke vehicles were seen on the major axis ferrying voters to their different polling units.
Our crew noticed that security men did not mount road blocks as directed by the State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, cautioning that that no vehicular and human movement during election period, except those on essential duty.
Along Abak Road, the INEC officials were ready, yet the number of voters was discouraging.
In Abak and Oruk Anam, the story was the same as our crew saw some young and elderly people patrolling streets while others were in their farms oblivious of the exercise.
At Obio Akpa close to the state university in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, our crew noticed a detachment of armed policemen escorting some government officials to some polling units in the area.
At Primary School, Nsekhe in Ukanafun, the INEC officials were seen accrediting voters while others were voting as at 9.30 a.m.
The school, which served as the Ward Collation Centre for Wards 4, 5 and six in the area, housed polling unit six.
Speaking with the crew, Mr. Amos Udom lauded INEC for the peaceful conduct of the exercise in the area.
Udom commended the voters for coming out to cast their votes for their governor and member in Ukanafun State Constituency.
Obong Senas Ukpanah a one-time Minister of Trade and Investment also hailed INEC for the peaceful conduct of the exercise.
The crew reached Ikot Udo Mbang, Ward 7 unit 015 where Hon. Otobong Akpan, a one-time member who represented Ukanafun State Constituency, cast his vote, expressing happiness at the conduct of the election.
Obong Eno Akpan, the Ukanafun Political Leader who spoke with team, described the exercise as calm and peaceful in the area.
Akpan who had represented Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and was also a Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in the state, described Ukanafun as a traditional PDP stronghold.
He enumerated benefits accruable from PDP since 1999 since the area joined the party to include the construction of Abak-Ikot Akpa Nkuk Road, Ikot Oku Usung-Ikot Akpan Afaha-Oruk Anam Road, empowerment of many youths and provision of some basic amenities in the area.
Though he admitted admiring PDP as the party belonging to the people, he advocated the formation of a political party for the minorities in the country to cater for their interest.
I will support the winner- Emmanuel says
The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel says whoever wins the governorship election in the state will be his candidate.
The governor stated this on Saturday in an interview shortly after voting at his unit 001, Awa Iman ward 1, Onna LGA, of the state.
Governor Emmanuel who commended the peaceful gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections rated the process 90 percent even as he vowed to deal with persons said to be disrupting elections in some parts of the state.
“There is peaceful conduct of elections in my local government as you can see, I hope it will be replicated across the state. I’ve just been told of fake people all over the place, they just told me now that one Rita Okemesi that came in from Abuja with a truck of police, is just disrupting the election, I’ve reported her to the AIG, hopefully, the police authority will take serious action against her.
“Police are meant to ensure free fair and credible election but what she is doing in Eket is going to create a lot of problems. I’ve reported accordingly and I expect action to be taken,” he said.
YPP accuses govt of disrupting election – OBA
The governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Senator Bassey Albert Akpan has accused the Akwa Ibom State government of fomenting violent acts in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.
Speaking after casting his vote at Ididep Usuk ward 1 in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Akpan called on the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the alleged killing of those indigenes, one of which he said the corpse was carted away by his killers.
He said it was never the business of government in power to disrupt peaceful polls if such government had satisfactorily served the people.
The YPP candidate, popularly known as OBA, pledged to align by the will of the people on whoever emerges Governor at the end of the exercise.
He adjudged the election to be ‘‘generally peaceful, but for the unfortunate incident of lost of lives.’’
‘‘I am calling on the police to investigate the incident and follow up with justice. No election is worth the blood of any Akwa Ibom indigene. I have spoken with the police commissioner and he has promised to come for a follow up on the incident. Two Ibiono Ibom indigenes were killed by the police and they carried the corpses,’’ he stated.
While commending INEC for ensuring early arrival of materials in polling units across the state, Sen Akpan however tasked INEC to ensure that election results are transmitted real time on the IREV in order to ensure a credible, fair, and transparent electoral process.
Eno’s projected lead- Field report
Meanwhile, our correspondent who monitored elections in Uyo, Nsit Ibom, Nsit Ubium, Onna, and Eket and other local government areas reports that Pastor Eno of PDP has swept the poll in many polling units.
At the close of the accreditation and voting at 2.30 p.m when BVAs had shut down, INEC officials moved results to ward collation centres and to local government centres and would later send the final results to INEC Headquarters for final computation and announcement on Sunday.
Though by 7 a.m Saturday evening, winners and losers of the elections were known in most local government areas of the state.
Eno who voted at his polling unit, Ikot Ekpene Udo in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, is projected to be in commanding lead of 53.5 per cent; Akpan of YPP is projected to be in 21.3 per cent bracket while Akan Udofia is seen at a dismal point of 20.7 per cent performance.
