Despite initial criticism, IPAC applauds INEC over elections

Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has applauded Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its performance during the presidential and National Assembly elections in Cross River State.

IPAC factional chairman in the state, Anthony Attah, gave the commendation at the weekend in Calabar, while briefing newsmen at Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Etim Bassey Press Centre, on the outcome of the elections.

Recall that the leadership of IPAC in the state flayed the electoral umpire over custody of the BVAS sent to the state, shortly before the elections.

The chairman, who specifically commended INEC for the early mobilisation of both human and material resources at various polling units across the state, however, rejected the outcome of some elections in the state.

He noted with delight how the early transmission of results from most of the constituencies in the state helped to validate the integrity of the electoral exercise, urging INEC to improve on subsequent elections.

“We commend INEC for early commencement of voting in majority of the polling units in Cross River State. We also commend INEC for the early transmission of results in most of the constituencies in the state, but we would call on them to improve in next Saturday’s elections,” he said.

But the organisation frowned on elections conducted in Cross River Central Senatorial District and the Etung/Obubra Federal Constituency. Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Eteng Williams and Mike Etaba, both of the APC, were reportedly declared winners of the elections, respectively.

While congratulating some of the winners, the chairman noted that the victory of some contestants were questionable and unacceptable.

He stated: “We congratulate Bassey Akiba, his victory is a refreshing one to every common man because he seemingly came from behind to defeat a serving House of Representatives member. We have interacted with almost all the candidates, and everybody approved his victory.

“In Cross River central, we have our reservations about the outcome of the election. The outcome of that election remains questionable. Quite a number of parties are not comfortable with the outcome of the election, and they have resolved to meet the purported winner in the court,” Attah noted.