Igini warns Essien Udim politicians over planned re-run in A/Ibom

Few days to the re- run elections in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner [REC], Mr. Mike Igini, has warned  all political stakeholders in Essien Udim Local Government Council, not to again display  those electoral  vices that led to the cancellation of the last elections in the council area of the state.

Addressing  political stakeholders in the area on Tuesday, Igini recalled some of the electoral vices that compelled the Commission to cancel elections in the area.

He listed the vices as confirmed by the Appeal Court to include unprecedented violence, intimidation, thuggery, hijacking of elections materials among others.

He said, such electoral offences informed the decision of the court to order for a re-run in the area.

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He listed the vices as confirmed by the Appeal Court to include unprecedented violence, intimidation, thuggery, hijacking of elections materials among others.

He said, such electoral offences informed the decision of the court, to order for a re-run in the area.

He reminded the people that, since rerun would hold only in Essein Udim Council Area, movement would only be restricted in that council area and urged political stakeholders from other parts of the state to restrict themselves to their areas.

He further explained to the affected parties that, the re-run would affect senatorial, federal constituency and state house of assembly elections, adding that, in the senatorial and federal house elections, voting would take place in all the 159 polling units, while voting would take place in 137 polling units out of 159 in the house of assembly elections.

Igini also explained that the re- run poll was as a result of the Appeal Court judgement which confirmed and preserved subsisting results of 22 polling units out of the 157 in the council area.

It would be recalled that following the Appeal Court judgement, Akwa Ibom North West senatorial elections was cancelled and the court ordered for a re-run for one out of the ten council areas in the senatorial district which is Essein Udim.

Then, out of three council areas of Ikot Ekpene, Obot Akara and Essien Udim, which constitute Ikot Ekpene federal constituency, the court also cancelled the result of Essien Udim and upheld that of Obot Akara and Ikot Ekpene council areas and ordered for fresh election for Essien Udim state constituency.

Hear him, “In 2019 we conducted elections, following the outcome of the elections, various candidates went to court; from the tribunal to Court of Appeal where the three elections were ordered.

Specifically, the Court had ordered that election in Essien Udim shall be re-conducted and preserved and affirmed election of 9 local government areas.

 “On the 25th of January, we are going to have election in the entire 159 polling units in Essien Udim for the senate and House of Representatives. But for the state constituency, in line with the affirmation of what we have done by two Courts of the land, we will have elections in 137 polling units, in 22 polling units, there will be no ballot for the state constituency. If you add 22 with 137, it gives you 159, so because the 22 polling units, the results on Form EC8a of those polling units are available, that is why.

“The re-run is in one local government area out of the 31 in the state, according to the court, the election had to be re-conducted on account of perfected unprecedented violence, thuggery, hijacking of electoral materials on election day. I want to remind all of us that, this act shouldn’t repeat because conducting elections go with cost.

“I have conducted elections in some part of this country and other parts of the World, Akwa Ibom is the first state since 2010, that I have to go back for a re-run election, it has never happened before,” he lamented.

He assured all parties of equal opportunities, adding that he came to the state to serve, debunking insinuations from some quarters that, he has been dinning and winning with some politicians in the state.

“Our commitment for a credible election is unwavering, the integrity of the process, pubic faith and confidence in that integrity must be guided over every consideration, in this Akwa Ibom State, not an inch of the process will be compromised,” he said.