PDP LEADS IN C'RIVER COUNCIL POLLS
Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) has released some results of last Saturday, August 28, council elections conducted in the state, with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of all the 10 chairmanship positions already declared.
Meanwhile, the state Chairman of the CROSIEC, Sir Patrick Otu said results for eight Local Government areas, including Obudu, Ogoja, Calabar Municipality, Biase, Yakurr, Etung, Boki and Bakassi council areas were not yet available to be announced.
The 10 chairmanship positions won by the PDP include Akamkpa, Ikom, Obubra, Bekwarra, Odukpani, Akpabuyo, Obanliku, Calabar-South, Abi, and Yala council areas.
The result, which was declared by the chairman of CROSIEC indicated that so far, the ruling party had clinched ten of the 18 chairmanship seats in the state, with over 100 councillorship positions, while ACN and LP won one councillorship seat each.
According to the result, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) councillorship candidate, Mr. Anthony Duke emerged as councilor-elect in Calabar-South Local Government, while Labour Party (LP) Mr. Effiom Nsa won in Idundu/Ayangase ward in Akpabuyo Council area as councilor for the area.
Commenting on the council polls, Sir Otu said elections for Ward Two in Calabar-South Local Government Area were rescheduled, as voting did not take place in the area due to activities of some political thugs who disrupted the exercise.
Out of the ten local government councils that the results were already released, Sir Otu said opposition parties only fielded three chairmanship candidates in Yala, Obanliku and Etung Local Government Areas, with some councillorship candidates, while the PDP had chairmanship and councillorship candidates for all the ten chairmanship positions as well as council wards.
The election result which was declared at the CROSIEC secretariat in Calabar, has Mr. Andem Asuquo (PDP) as chairman for Odukpani, MR. Ekeng Henshaw (PDP), chairman, Calabar-South, Benjamin Ayua (PDP) chairman Obanliku, Dennis Nkiri, chairman Akamkpa, Mr. Legor Idaghor (PDP) chairman for Bekwarra, Mr. Gabriel Idagor, (PDP) Chairman Yala and Anthony Ngbang as chairman elect for Ikom Local Government Area.
Mr. Idaghor, the incumbent chairman of Bekwarra Local Government Council was returned unopposed as oppositions did not field candidates in the area.
Declaring the results, Sir Otu said the elections were free and fair, alleging there were no cases of hijack of election materials in any local government area.
Explaining why the results were announced two days after the elections, he said the delay in the release of the elections results was caused by bad roads, transportation problem and the difficult terrain in the state.
Although the elections were said to be free and fair, it was generally believed that there was apathy in the state, as most people refused to turn out to exercise their civil responsibilities, just as opposition parties did not field candidates in most areas.