The presidential and National Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom State were systematically rigged, an anonymous group in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) alleges in a petition to the chairman, Attahiru Jega.
And results for next Saturday’s election have already been written, the group, “Concerned Staff of INEC, Akwa Ibom State”, said in a petition dated April 6.
They said that the March 28 hoax was perpetrated by the State Governor, Goodswill Akpabio, the Resident Electoral Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police, in league with some staff of INEC, and detailed how the election was rigged state-wide.
As of last Monday, five days to the governorship and State Assembly election when the petition itself was being written, the group said, “The Original Copies of the Results Sheets for the April 11th, 2015 elections have been handed over to the Governor to perfect yet another plan of rigging the elections.”
They therefore Professor Jega to postpone Saturday’s governorship and State Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom as there is a looming clash between the major parties which may culminate in bloodshed and loss of life.
They are also asking for the redeployment of the current Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State in favour of an incorruptible one, and all Electoral Officers similarly redeployed to other States and fresh/new Electoral Officers deployed to the State for Saturday’s elections.
The petition alleges that the Resident Electoral Commissioner collected from Governor Akpabio a whopping N2.5 billion, a Prado Jeep and other items in bribes in exchange for allowing the governor to sit in his office and write the election results he wanted without sending any electoral materials to the respective Units and Local Government Areas.
Full text of the petition:
6 April 2015
Prof. Attahiru JegaNational ChairmanIndependent National Electoral Commission, Abuja
Dear Sir,
PETITION AGAINST GOVERNOR GODSWILL OBOT AKPABIO, CON AND HIS COHORTS ON THE CONDUCT OF THE MARCH 28,2015 PRESIDENTIAL AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONSIN AKWA IBOM STATE
We wish to express our profound gratitude to you on the way you conducted the Presidential and National Assembly Elections held on 28th March, 2015. This goes to attest to the fact that you meant well for Nigeria and Nigerians when you promised to give the people the best in the 2015 elections.
1. However, despite your consistent warnings against fraudulent practices during the elections, Akwa Ibom State Governor, in connivance/collaboration with the State PDP Chairman, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State, and, indeed, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff notably, the Electoral Officers, SPOs and Ad-Hoc Staff who, probably may not have been those employed and trained by your INEC, but employed by the State Government (Cultists/Thugs armed to their teeth), perpetrated fraud in a magnitude that was unimaginable, hence this petition.
2. i) That the Resident Electoral Commissioner collected from the Governor of the State a whopping amount of N2.5 billion, a Prado Jeep and other items and specifically instructed the Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, CON to sit in the office and write the election results without sending any materials(sensitive materials) to the respective Units and Local Government Areas.
ii) Sensing that this plan would definitely arouse the curiosity of the major stakeholders in the State, both opted for the second option. It is a known fact that before 28th March, 2015 elections, the sensitive materials, notably, the Original Result Sheets meant for the State were handed over to the Governor by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for completion at the Governor’s House, to be announced by the Commissioner – a practice which is not in conformity with the laid down procedures of conducting,collating, compiling and announcing of results.
iii) That as a matter of policy by INEC to deploy all male indigenous Electoral Officers to other areas, leaving behind female indigenous Electoral Officers was a misguided policy and should be revisedimmediately for the sake of the 11th April elections in Akwa Ibom State in particular. It may interest you to know that the female indigenous Electoral Officers left in State are even worst than their male counterparts.
iv) That materials were not sent to so many areas in the State considered to be the strongholds of opposition parties like APC, Labour Party, Accord Party, etc. and where such materials were sent it was accompanied with photocopies of the Result Sheets,some areas, none at all thereby leading to beating up the Original Ad-hoc Staff employed by INEC resulting in inflicting serious wounds on them. It would also interest you to know that many Ad-hocstaff, including Corpers deployed to the Units died in the event as they were seriously manhandled by the electorates.
v) That the materials, instead of being sent to the Polling Units, were sent to the houses of some notable PDP Stalwarts by the Electoral Officers at the instance/instruction of the Resident ElectoralCommissioner, the Governor and the Commissioner of Police. These materials were duly escorted by the Police to the respective residences of the Party Stalwarts as indicated below:
(a) In Oron axis, all the materials were escorted to the residence of Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi (Hon. Minister of Lands and Housing) along Secretariat Road, Oron. Princess Felicia Bassey’s residence along Uyo-Oron Road (PDP House of Assembly Candidate).
(b) The materials meant for Uyo were escorted by the Police and diverted to Mr. Enobong Uwah’s residence (a serving Commissioner in the State)
(c) In Ibiono Ibom/Itu Local Government Areas, materials were diverted (escorted) to Mr. Bassey Albert Akpan’s residence (Uyo Senatorial District Candidate for PDP).
(d) Materials meant for Ikot Ekpene, Essien Udim, Obot Akara were escorted by the Police and diverted to Governor Godswill Akpabio’s residence in Ukana.
(e) Materials meant for Nsit Ubium Local Government Area were diverted to Senator Effiong Bob’s residence.
(f) Materials for Abak axis were escorted and diverted to Mr. Aniekan Umanah’s residence (a serving Commissioner in the State).
(g) Materials meant for Onna/Mkpat Enin Local Government Areas were diverted to Mr. Udom Emmanuel’s residence (PDP Governorship Candidate). Materials meant for most LocalGovernment Areas were diverted to the houses of PDP Stakeholders in those areas.
3. You may agree with me that the elections in the State were marred with high frequency fraud.
vi) That members of the Civil Defence that were meant to oversee the conduct of the election became accomplice and some who could not concede to their antics were driven out of the premises where these materials were taken to.
NEW PLANS TOWARDS 11TH APRIL ELECTIONS
(i) That as I am writing to you now, the Original Copies of the Results Sheets for the April 11th, 2015 elections have been handed over to the Governor to perfect yet another plan of rigging the elections.
(ii) Plan to kill so many that would want to raise a voice against their planned action is in top gear.
(iii) Plans to reduce the materials meant for areas known to be the strongholds of opposition parties like APC, Labour, Accord Parties, etc. have been concluded and perfected by the ResidentElectoral Commission (REC) and Electoral Officers as series of meetings have been held in this regard.
(iv) Areas considered to be volatile during the elections, MUST not be given materials at all.
OUR PRAYERS
(1) That the Governorship election and House of Assembly election should be postponed as indices on ground posits that there would be a serious clash between PDP and other opposition parties which may culminate into loss of many lives and bloodshed.
(2) That the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State should be deployed and a new one who is corrupt-free be deployed to Akwa Ibom for the sake of this election of 11th April.
(3) That all the Electoral Officers in the State should be deployed to other States and fresh/new Electoral Officers deployed to the State for the purpose of 11th April, 2015 elections.
(4) That the Akwa Ibom people are aware of the antics of the current Resident Electoral Commissioner and are poised to set ablaze INEC Office. His safety, as a matter of fact, is not guaranteed.
Please Sir, act now and fast too, for ‘a stitch in time saves nine.
Thank you.
Sincerely yours,
Signed:
Concerned Staff of INEC, Akwa Ibom State
