APC candidate, lawyer petition INEC over suspected plans to manipulate Akwa Ibom supplementary election

Ahead of supplementary elections in Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives candidate in Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency Mr. Clement Jimbo, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman and the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State to review the number of polling units where the election is expected to take place in line with the dictates of Section 24 of the Electoral Act 2022.

Jimbo called for the removal and replacement of the Electoral Officer (EO) of Etim Ekpo Council, Mr. Edet Eyo Effiong. He said there are indications that the neutrality of the EO has been undermined, adding that Edet’s conduct during the February 15, 2023 election showed that he has been compromised and should not be allowed to take part in the supplementary election.

The APC chief, who spoke at a press conference, alleged moves by suspected officials of INEC, in collusion with some persons in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to rig the April 15 House of Representatives supplementary elections.

Recall that INEC declared the February 25 House of Reps elections of Abak/Etim Ekpo/ Ika Federal Constituency inconclusive and scheduled a supplementary elections for April 15.

It was gathered that from the results obtained from 386 polling units across the Federal Constituency, the candidate of APC was leading with 2,.962 votes.

Jimbo said they undertook rigorous verification and investigation of the listed 25 polling units as published by the Commission and  found out that the Commission failed to offer cogent and verifiable reasons on the basis for isolating the said 25 polling units for supplementary election.

He further called on INEC to examine all BVAS machines intended to be used for the supplementary election in the constituency to ensure the integrity and default components of the BVAS have not been compromised.

He urged INEC to put in place stringent measures to ensure that the integrity of the supplementary election, and the neutrality and safety of the INEC officials, who will be deployed for the supplementary election in the constituency, are guaranteed.

Earlier a Human Rights Lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said he has also petitioned the INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, over alleged move by suspected officials of the Commission in Akwa Ibom State in collusion with some persons in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the April 15 House of Representatives supplementary elections in Abak/Etim Ekpo/ Ika federal Constituency in the State.

Effiong disclosed this in Uyo during a joint press conference with his client, Mr. Clement Jimbo, who is the House of Representative candidate for the said Federal Constituency under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the State.

The human rights lawyer, during a conference, queried the rationale behind the supplementary elections in some polling units where results were transmitted in accordance with the electoral law, without any report of violence and malpractice and his client won convincingly, saying that such an act by INEC was in violation of Section 24 of the Electoral Act.

Effiong, who wondered why INEC refused to declare his client, the winner of the elections, said the Commission should clearly and openly explain why it opted for a supplementary election.