A/Ibom: APC rejects result, claims victory in 26 LGs

Isaac Job, Uyo.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom state has pushed for the cancellation of last Saturday’s governorship and state House of Assembly elections in the state, saying it didn’t reflect the voting of the people.

Also, the APC claimed that the party won 26 out of the 31 council areas in the state, but that the votes were manipulated to the advantage of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Addressing a press conference in Uyo on Monday, after the INEC had declared incumbent Governor Udom Emmanuel winner of the governorship election in the state, the APC Chairman in the state, Ini Okopido, said the result declared by the electoral umpire was a mirage as it never reflected the support given to the party in the state.

“The result of the governorship and state house of assembly elections in the state, as obtained from our agents across the state, clearly shows that the All Progressive Congress won in 26 out of the 31 local government areas of the state.

“The result showed a remarkable closeness in the number of votes polled by each of the two political parties,” he added.

Okopido also claimed that the vote closeness was possible because of what he described as underhand tactics the PDP displayed through multiple voting, vote buying and deployment of violence in an unprecedented manner never recorded in the history of the state.

He mentioned other antics of the PDP during last Saturday’s election to include, arson, killings, snatching of ballot boxes, manipulation/non – use of the card reader machines as well as outright intimidation of voters.

Okopido submitted that the APC would ever reject the sham and fictitious result as announced by INEC being that it was a product of manipulation concocted to suit the unholy alliance between the electoral umpire and the PDP in the state.