Release authentic list of Akwa Ibom State executives, APC chief tells Adamu, NWC

All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State and former Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, has called on the party National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu and the National Working Committee (NWC) to certify and forward to party leaders in Akwa Ibom State the authentic list of ward executives, council and state executives, who emerged from the INEC-monitored congresses at wards, chapter and state levels, to enable actors to know who to relate with.

Enang expressed worry that names forwarded to INEC were not names of persons, who emerged from valid primaries monitored by INEC and conducted by legitimate officials of the party.

He quoted Section 84 (1) as saying that congress for the election of officers shall be monitored by INEC and claimed that INEC did not monitor congresses that produced officials in the Ntukekpo-led executive and that the outcome should be of no effect.

He maintained that, on the contrary, INEC witnessed the Austin Ekanem-led executive congresses and duly monitored the Senate, House of Representatives, and House of Assembly elections according to law and was, therefore, bound to accept, and file the candidates that emerged there.

He said: That section 84(1) says that nomination congresses shall be monitored by INEC. INEC did not monitor the purported congresses that produced the candidate in the Ntukekpo-led executive and so cannot be obliged to file the products thereof.

INEC was at the Austin Ekanem-led executive and duly monitored the Senate, House of Representatives, and House of Assembly elections, according to law, and therefore only bound to accept and file the candidates that emerged there.

“Therefore, in accordance with Section 84(5)(c) of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended, it is the aspirants, who emerged from the INEC-monitored senatorial, reps and assembly primaries, being winners of the primaries of the party, that should be forwarded to the commission as the candidate of the party.

“As of today, names forwarded to INEC are not names of persons, who emerged from valid primaries monitored by INEC and conducted by legitimate officials of the party, the names sent are ones conducted by Ntukekpo-led club, not monitored by INEC. By failing or refusing to send the names of the aspirants, who emerged from validly conducted primaries monitored by INEC, the party is latently declaring that it does not intend to sponsor candidates for the Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly elections. This the law and INEC is bound to comply.”