A'Ibom: Alleged Conspiracy Between INEC & PDP To Scuttle Election Petition At Tribunal Revealed.
UYO, May 13, (THEWILL) - The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) has alerted the election petition tribunal sitting in Uyo the state capital of the conspiracy between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to scuttle the party’s challenge of the re-election of Governor Godswill Akpabio (PDP) at the tribunal.
The ACN alert was issued in a press conference addressed by the Acting State Chairman, Dr. Amadu Attai Friday.
The chairman disclosed that evidence are abound that INEC agents in the state are working tirelessly to make up documents for the purpose of the proposed governorship election petition tribunal, considering the fact that the tribunal had ordered INEC to submit all polling documents or packages relating to the April 26th gubernatorial election in the state to the scrutiny of the ACN governorship flag bearer at the polls; Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, his deputy, Dr. Ime Sampson Umana, the ACN and their agents, as well as make available true and certified copies of such documents in the prescribed form used for the election.
The tribunal, according to him further directed INEC and the Residential Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Maria Owi to confirm in writing the unavailability and the reason for such unavailability of any such result or document relating to the gubernatorial election for the state which are in their custody by law.
Recall that the ACN had rejected the results even as it called for the cancelation of the governorship and House of Assembly elections, as well as the Uyo Senatorial election conducted by INEC in Akwa Ibom state on April 26th, 2011, on the grounds that they were marred by irregularities, ranging from violence, ballot box snatching, material hijack and other forms of electoral malpractices.
Dr. Attai maintained that after listing all the electoral material urgently required for inspection, the party’s lawyers were allowed to commence inspection on May, 11th, saying that prior to the commencement of the inspection, the head of legal department in INEC, Mr. Jacob had assured their lawyers that all documents requested would be made available within the INEC premises in Uyo.
The procedure, according to him was for ACN’s lawyer to request for the materials needed and for INEC to provide, but surprise came when form EC40C, (the list of the serial numbers of the form used for the conduct of the April 26th, gubernatorial election in the state) was requested for and the head operations of INEC and the head of legal department informed them that the said form was in Port Harcourt.
“On Wednesday May 11th, 2011, our lawyers requested for form EC40C (list of the serial numbers of the forms used for the conduct of the April 26th gubernatorial elections in Akwa Ibom state). To their greatest surprise, the head of operations and the head of legal department informed them that the said forms were in Port Harcourt. Some moment later, the head of operations changed his story, and informed our lawyers that the said forms were scattered around the wards in the different local government areas in the state.
“Contrary to what our lawyers were told the previous day, the head of operations Akwa Ibom, presented our lawyer with two sheets of hurriedly filled form EC40C and stated that they were gathering the forms in their strong room,” he stated further.
“When it was obvious that the forms were not forth coming, our lawyers requested that the head of operations should furnish them with form EC40C or confirm it in writing that they do not have them, he then horridly replied that the forms are not readily available, and that the lawyers should go back to the tribunal and complain. He plainly told our lawyers that INEC will not confirm in writing that they do not have the documents requested for.”
Speaking further Attai disclosed that INEC officials were seen filling up blank forms such as EC17, (oath of neutrality) back dating and deposing them right there, even as INEC officials denied knowledge of it when confronted, even when they were shown where the deed was being perfected.
“Our lawyers were shocked to their marrow when they saw the INEC staff filling out blank copies of forms EC40B and EC40C,” the chairman stressed.
He hinted that the ACN lawyers were verbally attacked by some influential government officials who were involved, chief among them being the commissioner of Urban Renewal in the state; Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem and some INEC officials, when they tried to draw the attention of operations and legal department to the exercise.
The party therefore submitted not all the document requested from INEC by the tribunal were just being filled totally with serial numbers by INEC officials in conspiracy with the PDP in the state, disclosing further that facts at his disposal were that every member involved in the deal will be paid as much as N5million to testify for INEC and the PDP, seeing it as the highest level of criminality.
In view of the material breach of ex-part order by INEC in connivance with the PDP, the party is calling on the National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega to urgently suspend the state’s Residential Electoral Commissioner Mrs. Maria Owi, the head of operations and the head of legal even as he should order full scale investigations into their activities before and after the elections.