Akwa Ibom IPAC condemns anti-Igini campaigns ...Restates confidence in State’s REC, INEC

Akwa Ibom IPAC condemns anti-Igini campaigns  ...Restates confidence in State’s REC, INEC ...As party leaders dissociate from protest

Leaders of political parties in Akwa Ibom State, under the aegis of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), have reaffirmed their confidence in the State’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini, describing the call for his removal as uncalled for and an attempt by one political party to overrule the 59 others in the State.

The State Chairman of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Publicity Secretary of IPAC in the State, Reverend Aniebiet Emmanuel, made the position known while responding to pressmen, after their meeting in Uyo.

Emmanuel said IPAC, after its investigation of the alleged protest by political parties in Akwa Ibom State, calling for the replacement of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the State, has established that what happened was just a gathering of one political party. Hence, he said, IPAC has resolve that no one political party can take a decision for the entire political parties in the State. 

The IPAC Publicity Secretary further decried the scenario that out of sixty political parties in the State, cook e up a kind of protest against a man who has been ascertained by IPAC, being the umbrella organisation for all political parties and other major stakeholders in party politics, one with the integrity to conduct a free, fair and credible elections.

In his words: “This is uncalled for and as IPAC we rise up against that and we say no. One man cannot determine the fate of all political parties in this State. It is not possible. We are not taking sides with any political party. We are saying that Mike Igini has no question mark, as far as the 2019 election is concerned”, Rev. Aniebiet Emmanuel said.

He recalled an events in recent times when Igini had proven exhibited notable transparency, the IPAC man said as party leaders, representing each political party as assigned agents, they went to CBN on Friday morning to witness the arrival of sensitive election materials and were denied entry, but when the REC was contacted, he quickly objected to such action and ordered that every party must be represented before anything is done.

Rev. Emmanuel further affirmed that all party representatives were cleared and they all witnessed the offloading and confirmation of the contents. “We saw the original result sheets, complete. For the first time in the history of elections in this state, we experienced transparency to the fullest”, The IPAC Publicity Secretary said. 

Speaking further, Rev. Emmanuel said Igini’s hands are clean and that party leaders want him to conduct real elections so that parties who cannot win governorship can win House of Assembly or any other elections in various areas where they have strength.

On the alleged letters to INEC, the State Chairman of All Grassroots Alliance (AGA), Hon. Victor Friday refutted the rumor that his party was signatory to the letter calling for the removal of Mr. Mike Igini as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State.

Hon Friday admitted to have signed an earlier letter, on behalf of his party, that expressed confidence in Mr. Igini’s integrity to conduct credible elections in Akwa Ibom State, but said he was surprise to hear that his party was signatory to another letter, unknown to him, calling for the removal of the same Igini. The AGA Chairman reaffirmed that his party’s position remains that Igini has the integrity to conduct credible elections in the State.

Evangelist Akpabio Akpabio, State Chairman of Mass Action Grand Alliance (MAGA), said signing the earlier letter on behalf of his party was something he did wholeheartedly, out of good conscience. He said having worked with Mike Igini, he found no fault in him, but was cornered into a place by some persons to sign a letter under duress, which he later learned was a protest letter calling for the removal of Igini.

Akpabio said he had to append his signature as he was asked to ensure his safety but stands to refute the content of the letter and reaffirm his party’s position that no fault has been found in Igini, hence the State REC should stay and continue his good works.