Blood Trails March 9 Polls In Ukanafun, Essien Udim … As Udo Kierian Allegedly Ruins Oruk Anam elections

By UbongAbasi Ise

Governorship and the state house of assembly elections have come and gone, not without leaving the people of Ukanafun community in mourning, as indigenes were shot while coming out to perform their civic responsibility on Saturday.

At polling unit 004 in Ikot Udo Ossiom in Ward 2, Ukanafun local government area, Ubokutom Sampson, a man of 25 years of age, was allegedly shot by a military personnel claimed to have accompanied the stakeholders of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, according to an eyewitness who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity.  Sampson was later confirmed dead.

Another victim of gunshot at the polling unit was a woman, who was simply described as Mrs. Udom.

The source claimed she was also shot by the same soldier who opened fire on Ubokutom Sampson. The woman was said to have been rushed to the hospital for immediate medical attention.

According to our source, problem started when the voters at the polling unit insisted that votes must be counted before the electoral materials be taken out of the unit to the Ward collating centre, a decision that did not go down well with the PDP chieftains that were at the unit.

After the altercation that followed, the military man was alleged to have opened fire on the defenseless voters, and the PDP members then seize an opportunity to snatch the election materials into a hilux van, then zoomed off in company of the soldier in question, to an unknown destination.

Also Essien Udim was one of the local government areas in Akwa Ibom State where Saturday’s governorship and state house of assembly elections were marred by widespread violence and disorder, our correspondent gathered.

Tension became palpable at polling unit 009, Ukana West II in Essien Udim, where there was an attempted disruption of electoral processes by the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Investment, Commerce and Industry, Prince Ukpong Akpabio, with the aim of bringing the Independence National Electoral Commission, INEC, to cancel the entire electoral exercise in the unit, apparently to upset the former state governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

It should be noted that Prince Ukpong Akpabio, who is a faithful of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, is a registered voter at unit 009, Ukana West II located at Independent High School same as Senator Godswill Akpabio of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

When the crowd at the polling unit prevailed upon the Investment Commissioner to allow calm, he was alleged to have left with fury, reportedly wreaking havoc all over the proximate polling units in the area instead of casting his votes.

Mr. Joseph Tombele, one of the Chieftains of the APC in Okon Ward, revealed to newsmen that hoodlums had invaded almost all the 26 polling units scattered all over the 18 villages in Okon ward in Essien Udim local government area, carting away ballot boxes, with sporadic gunshots renting the air.

Mr. Tombele, who escaped the scene of violence in Nto Ubiam, said a lot of voters were seriously beaten, and over 10 people were injured by the thugs that invaded units, with policemen running for their safety.

In Oruk Anam local government area, there were reports of irregularities and fraudulent electoral practices, with Sir Udo Kierian Akpan, a candidate seeking reelection to represent Oruk Anam State constituency in the state house of assembly member, strongly indicted by the APC agents in the area.

According to Mr. Iboro Umoren, an APC agent of Ward 10 (Abak Midim III), ballot boxes were hijacked in the wards and were taken to ward centre at Ikot Esenam, the hometown of Sir Udo Kierian Akpan for onward manipulation in favour of the PDP.

Umoren claimed that the APC was leading at polling unit 007 at Ikot Inuen, but the PDP thugs invaded the unit, snatch ballot boxes, selected out and destroyed the ballot papers that were thumb-printed in favour of the APC.

At polling unit 004 in Manta village, Mr. Iboro Umoren said the electorates suspected to be sympathetic to the APC were intimidated and barred from taking part in the voting process. This allegation was also collaborated by Mr. Patrick Nkantion, the APC polling agent at Ediene Ikot Inyang, Ward 10.

Nkantion alleged that APC votes were voided and fresh voting exercise ordered at the instance of Udo Kierian Akpan, who went around snatching boxes in collusion with police officers and members of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Meanwhile, the ward agent of Oruk Anam ward 10, Mr. Iboro Umoren has hinted our correspondent that the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Akwa Ibom State has been petitioned the APC in ward 10, Oruk Anam to cancel the entire electoral exercise in the area.

©The Sensor Newspaper

Go Home for more news


>Electoral Fraud In Uyo! Councilor Indulges In Massive Vote-Buying For PDP … His Brother One of the INEC Ad Hoc Staff At CKS Polling Unit
>Udo Kierian Fingered In Ballot Box Snatching Incident In Oruk Anam
>Who Will Vote For Nsima Ekere?