A’Ibom APC Petitions Mike Igini Over Open Support For PDP


By UbongAbasi Ise

The national headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abuja, has received a petition from Akwa Ibom State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, which alleges that Mr. Mike Igini, the INEC’s  Resident Electoral Commissioner,  REC, in Akwa Ibom State, has developed a soft spot for the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in the state.
In a letter addressed to INEC and co-signed by the APC State Chairman, Mr. Ini Okopido and the party’s state secretary, Mr. Augustine Ekanem, the petition has it that Mr. Igini is working hand-in-glove with Mr Udom Emmanuel, to rig, manipulate and influence the forthcoming elections in favour of the governor and his Party, the PDP.
“With a deep sense of responsibility, we write to apprise you of the unbridled and undisguised partisanship, bias and partiality of Mr. Mike Igini, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State. We have established that in total violation of his Oath of Office and Code of Conduct for senior electoral officials, Mr. Igini is working hand-in-glove with the State governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, to rig, manipulate and influence the forthcoming elections in favour of the governor and his Party, the PDP.
“The PDP cannot even hide their peculiarly cosy but sinister affair with the REC. On Monday, 4th February, 2019, some leaders of the PDP took up a newspaper page to warn the INEC chairman against the redeployment of the REC. (Please see page 39 of Vanguard newspaper of Monday, 4th February 2019). It is so strange, curious and suspicious for a political party to make such a show of its preference for one particular electoral officer. The advertorial states that Igini ‘is widely acknowledged as a man of integrity, honesty and is dedicated to conducting a free, transparent and credible election in the state’. Is the PDP telling the whole country that Igini is the only REC out of 36 with these qualities and capabilities? So the elections in the other 35 states and the FCT will not be credible and transparent? What pact has the PDP entered into with Mr. Igini that could be so strong and binding that the party could throw caution aside and declare that only Igini should conduct the election in the state? Does the PDP have the right to pick and choose a particular electoral officer for INEC?,” the party queried.
The APC maintained that Mr. Igini has been conducting himself in a very disgraceful manner that betrays his bias and preference for the PDP and Gov. Udom Emmanuel. According the to party, in a recent telephone conversation with Ini Okopido, APC State Chairman, “Mr. Igini threatened that the APC will never win the governorship election in Akwa Ibom State, no matter how big and massive our total tally is. He told me that he would ensure that the PDP would be declared winner of the election, no matter what happens.
“Just two weeks ago or so, Mr. Igini, in company of Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak (former REC in Rivers State, and now Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Election Board), Senator Helen Esuene (PDP chieftain) and Mr. David Lawrence (PDP member of the House of Assembly representing Eket State Constituency) met at the residence of Senator Esuene in Eket, and perfected plans for the rigging of the forthcoming elections in favour of the PDP and Gov. Udom Emmanuel. We should emphasize here that it is Mr. Ikoiwak, the former REC in Rivers State, who is the point man used by Gov. Udom Emmanuel and the PDP chieftains to reach Mr. Igini and other officials of INEC.
“We have evidence to show that the REC, Mr Mike Igini, has handed over the uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to the officials of Akwa Ibom State Government House, Uyo. These uncollected PVCs are in thousands. We do know that it is not the role of the state government or its officials to keep custody of these uncollected PVCs.
“Mr. Igini has been carrying out selective punitive measures against some electoral officers (EOs) whom he perceives to be resisting his partisanship and biased conducts. For instance, he recently removed the electoral officer (EO) of Ikot Abasi LGA from office while other EOs has been thrown out of office for their uprightness, professionalism and decision to stand against Mr. Igini’s ulterior motives. Other EOs whom Mr. Igini has arbitrarily removed from office for resisting his bias, partisanship and favouritism to the PDP are: Mr. Anderson GogoWaribo; Mr. Ogwo-UdeHappiness and Mr. Kingsley Arukwe. In the last one week, he has removed six EOs from office for daring to resist his partisan conduct.”

©The Sensor Newspaper


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