…demands outright cancellation
The Labour Party (LP) in Akwa Ibom State has pronounced formally its rejection of the results of the Presidential and National Assembly polls conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) last Saturday, February 25, 2023.
This pronouncement was made in Uyo yesterday, Monday during a joint Media briefing by the State Executive Council of the Labour Party and the Governorship Campaign Council held at the Campaign Secretariat, #1 Nsikak Eduok Avenue.
Speaking separately, the State Chairman of LP; Mr. Lincoln Charles and Director-General of Uduakobong/Ebongho 2023 Campaign Organization; Chief Asuquo Edet Anwana corroborated that the elections were marred by glaring irregularities, which culminated in massive doctoring of results by INEC in favour of the incumbent Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
“In the build up to the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, it was very glaring that the Labour Party was winning the elections. This very reality was the motivating factor that propelled the electorate in Akwa Ibom state across party lines to troop out to vote for our Presidential candidate; His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi”, part of Lincoln’s text of Press briefing noted.
He continued “Amidst reported widespread provocative acts perpetrated in active connivance with the ruling PDP, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the people of Akwa Ibom state exhibited an unprecedented resilience and restraint.
For instance, Electoral materials and officials arrived late at various polling units across the state. Also, INEC bluntly refused to give identification tags to our Polling Agents even after we as a party had since submitted to them all that they required to produce the tags. As a result of this, most Labour Party agents were barred by INEC officials from doing their work of securing the votes of our party.
The PDP knew that Akwa Ibom people were tired of governmental failures. The electorate saw His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi and the Labour Party as their route to escape abject poverty. This was why they patiently waited to cast their votes”.
Rejecting the result as announced by INEC in the state, Lincoln said “But, in spite of all these infractions and contravention of the Electoral Laws, Rules and Guidelines, Akwa Ibom people still voted massively for Mr. Peter Obi and the Labour Party. In outright violation of the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act, which provides for transmission of results at polling units via the BVAS, the INEC officials refused to transmit the results. As it plays out today, these Electoral Officers were planning to alter the results, which showed that our Party clearly won, in favour of the PDP.
The figures we saw the INEC announce is, to say the least, appalling insulting and embarrassing. This is a clear departure from the promises which INEC made to conduct a free, fair and credible election in 2023. As a Party, we wish to state emphatically that the results announced by INEC in Akwa Ibom state do not reflect the manner in which our people voted last Saturday therefore, we reject it in entirety even as we call for outright cancellation of same”.
On his part, the DG, Uduakobong/Ebongho 2023 Campaign Organization; Chief Asuquo Edet Anwana said election results obtained from Polling Units showed that their Presidential candidate scored highest votes across polling units in the state.
He said “We have at our disposal results of the elections direct from the polling units. The results as we have indicate His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi winning convincingly. It is an outright robbery for the results to be altered. However, as Campaign Organization, we wish to call on our teeming supporters to remain calm as we hope that INEC shall heed the popular call of Akwa Ibomites and Nigerians for the elections to be cancelled”.
Present at the media briefing was the LP governorship candidate; Mr. Uduak Udoh and Deputy; Mr. Charles Ebongho.
Others were the Campaign Council Secretary; Elder Monday Udoh, Deputy Director, Advisory Committee; Pharmacist Laurel King, Director, Inter-party Affairs; Mr. Ekpene Ekpene, 2023 candidates of the party, and a host of others.