Rerun poll: Akwa Ibom APC demands Igini’s sack••• He is a threat to credible elections in the state.

Rerun poll:

Akwa Ibom APC demands Igini’s sack

••• He is a threat to credible elections in the state.

By Abasiakan Udom

The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, called for the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Mike Igini, as allowing him to conduct the rerun election in Essien Udim Local Government, would put the exercise in danger in view of his pro PDP antecedents.

The party made the call in its official reaction to the Appeal Court judgement which nullified the declaration of Dr Chris Ekpenyong of the PDP, as the duly elected senator for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, by Mike Igini.

According to a statement personally signed by the Akwa  Ibom State chairman of the party, Ini Okopido, “we are distraught and doubtful of a change of posture by Igini and therefore cautious to go into a fresh election while Igini remains the State REC. Only a foolish survivor would ask the same hired assassin to extract the bullet from his body. According to a social media commentator, “Igini is devilish and may have swallowed the thunder bolt. He was on rampage before and after the election, ready to destroy any APC candidate who attempted to defeat PDP in Akwa Ibom state”.

“We demand the immediate re-deployment of Igini in the interest of peace and justice” the release stated.

Mr Okopido, praised the doggedness of Justice Hafizu Tahir, who gave the Minority judgement, saying, “we cannot fail to acknowledge and appreciate the minority judgement of Hon. Justice Hafizu Tahir who courageously punctured Igini’s ego at the tribunal. God bless him”.

The statement read in part:

RE – JUDGMENT OF THE COURT OF APPEAL, CALABAR: REVERSAL OF IGINI’S TYRANNY

The five-man panel of Justices of the Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar on Saturday, November 9th 2019 delivered its judgement in an appeal brought before it by Senator Godswill Akpabio. In his Appeal, Senator Akpabio who was the APC candidate for Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial district prayed the Election Appeal Tribunal to void the erroneous declaration by INEC of Engr. Chris Ekpenyong, the PDP candidate winner and subsequent decision of the Election Petition Tribunal to uphold same. We can not fail to acknowledge and appreciate the minority judgement of Hon. Justice Hafizu Tahir who courageously punctured Igini’s ego at the tribunal. God bless him.
Delivering its judgement, the Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision confirmed infractions and blatant breach of the Electoral Act by INEC. The Lordships in their ruling specifically noted the admittance of irregularities in the conduct of the election by INEC as submitted in Respondents brief of argument. The Justices further noted the impropriety in announcement of the Senatorial District result at INEC office in Uyo; an act considered strange to law by the Justices contending that such result ought not to have been announced in the first instance.
By their wisdom and inherent discretion, the five wise men cast spot-light on the fraud and multiple malpractices that characterized the election conducted by INEC in Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial district; nay the state at large. This judgment has utterly discredited and put to question the much-vaunted claim of a free, fair and transparent election touted by PDP and their accomplice in-chief, Mr. Mike Igini, the state REC.
While not concealing his contempt and disdain for APC and its candidates, Igini colluded and collaborated with PDP to rig the elections in its favour. What is instructive about this judgement is the acknowledgement and expressed declaration by a superior court that election in Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial district was a sham; an indictment of INEC. In other words, the Court is saying that INEC was wrong to have announced such a result. Nevertheless, Mr. “Integrity” Igini pronounced his favourite candidate winner only to shamelessly claim to have been vindicated by the very judgment that indicted him. Who is fooling who?

Senator Akpabio’s victory in his Local Government was expected and of common knowledge because the community is his political base. Yet, Igini, in a confessional statement of one of his accomplices, unilaterally and creatively distorted the votes cast in Essien Udim LG in favour of the PDP candidate. APC candidates at both Essien Udim State constituency and Ikot Ekpene Federal constituency were not spared Igini’s creativity at election results manipulation.

Mike Igini whimsically refused to issue a certificate of Return to Rt. Hon. Nse Ntuen long after the Election Petition Tribunal had ordered him to do so obviously because the REC preferred the PDP challenger.
Though short of the relief sought, we welcome the judgement of the Appeal Court and applaud the courage of the Justices to dispense justice without fear or favour. The judgement has no doubt affirmed earlier complaints by APC of the prejudice of Igini against the Party.
We commend the Appeal Court order for fresh elections in Essien Udim LG for the Senate and Ikot Ekpene Federal House seat whose questionable INEC result was vigorously contested by Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Akpan of the APC.
As we prepare for the re-run elections in Essien Udim LGA, we are cautious and mindful of a re-run election superintended by Mike Igini. We have no faith in Igini’s impartiality as an unbiased and independent umpire. Igini is a compromised official and avowed enemy of APC. We are distraught and doubtful of a change of posture by Igini and therefore cautious to go into a fresh election while Igini remains the State REC. Only a foolish survivor would ask the same hired assassin to extract the bullet from his body. According to a social media commentator, “Igini is devilish and may have swallowed the thunder bolt. He was on rampage before and after the election, ready to destroy any APC candidate who attempted to defeat PDP in Akwa Ibom state”. We demand the immediate re-deployment of Igini in the interest of peace and justice.
Finally, the APC family in Akwa Ibom state heartily congratulates the Hon. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and candidate of the Party in Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial district for his victory at the Court of Appeal, Calabar. We extend our warm felicitation and appreciation to our teeming Leaders, members and supporters across the state and beyond for their resoluteness and enduring solidarity.

Hon. Ini Okopido
State Chairman
APC, Akwa Ibom Chapter
Dated:11th Nov. ’19