Leaked Information Exposes APC Plot to Rig Akwa Ibom Election, PDP Alleges

 

The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday alleged that leaked information had exposed the All Progressives Congress (APC) plots to rig election in the state.

The party said some of the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could have been changed before the election following leaked information to the electoral umpire over plans to bribe its officials by the APC in the state.

The party alleged that the APC had met at the residence of one of the top ranking members of APC in Uyo, the state capital, before the governorship election where plans were perfected on how to lobby the INEC officials especially those covering the Ikot Ekpene senatorial district by the APC.

PDP alleged that at the meeting, the APC was said to have promised to pay all ward collation officers N1million each, while local government collation and returning officers were to collect N3 million each.  

“The news of this uncommon bribery filtered out and may have been the reason why the collation and returning officers were changed,” the party alleged.

PDP alleged that that was one of the reasons why Senator Godswill Akpabio and the governorship candidate of APC in the state, Nsima Ekere, are angry with the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mike Igini, for changing collation and returning officers.

The state PDP said APC should not blame the REC for their failure in the election as the party (APC) didn’t prepare for the election but relying on “the federal might to win.”

The State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ini Ememobong, said in a statement issued in Uyo that PDP were aware that the APC was in talks with militants in a bid to terrorise the elections.

He said there is evidence in the leaked audio tape where the APC negotiated with militants to secure their services for the elections.

The statement alleged that APC was said to have offered N25million for 20 Hilux van, men and tools which were referred to as walking sticks and GP, meaning AK 47 riffles and General Purpose Machine Guns.

“In that conversation, they were heard plotting to bomb the vehicle of the state REC in a bid to scare him,” Emmenobong alleged.

He said APC was living in fool’s paradise to have claimed wining the governorship election in 26 out of 31 local government areas.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we must state that the APC lost in all the local government areas, including Essien Udim and Ikot Abasi Local Government Areas, where Senator Akpabio and Nsima Ekere come from respectively,” he stated.