The bid of the All Progressive Congress to capture power in Akwa Ibom State has further diminished as the Party’s plot and lobby to see to the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the State Mr. Mike Igini has hit the woodworks.
It is gathered from very reliable sources in the Abuja Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that the leadership of the Election organizing institution is very uncomfortable with the pressure that was mounted on them by Akpabio and Ita Enang.
THE INK gathered from very intelligent sources that Akpabio’s funds that was meant to be used to bribe Prof. Yakubu Mahmoud, the INEC Boss so that Igini could be redeployed from Akwa Ibom State must have been rejected by those close to the election umpire whom Akpabio felt will favour his bid.
Igini, who is the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State is a no nonsense man who abhors rigging and also is of very strong character.
Attempts by Akpabio and APC to bribe Igini in Akwa Ibom State had fallen flat as all entreaties to him by Akpabio and his cohorts had always met with stiff rejection and blockade.
When this was noticed and all efforts to get Igini play APC ball collapsed, Godswill Akpabio had to plot the removal and redeployment of Igini.
In a meeting held at Akpabio’s house at the instance of the Ex Governor, attendees at the meeting had plotted ways of dealing with Igini whom they said was unwilling to cooperate.
Speakers at the meeting which also had Nsima Ekere, Ita Enang, Umana Umana and Nsima’s running mate Amadu Attai had come to a conclusion that Igini should be given a red card and exited from Akwa Ibom State.
It was learnt that Godswill Akpabio had promised to tap into his connections and see to the exit of Igini.
The gubernatorial candidate of the APC, Obong Nsima Ekere who was still with the NDDC as the MD was to provide funding for the job of lobbying INEC against Igini.
To this end, Ekere is said to have provided heavy funding for the job which eventually could not see the light of the day.
Checks by THE INK reporter revealed that INEC in Abuja is of the opinion that they do not have sufficient reasons to redeploy Igini as their background and intelligence findings show that Igini is a thorough bred Electoral umpire who knows, understands and can interprete the job that is expected of him.
A spokesman of INEC told THE INK that the plot to remove Igini by the APC was to allow the opposition elements a clean rigging of the Polls in Akwa Ibom State.
Our source added further that INEC has a lot of people who help in giving them intelligence on each of their RECs and that so far, intelligence reports does not dishonour the Akwa Ibom REC.
He added that Mr. Igini is a man that cannot be manipulated no matter how hard one tries and that the inability of Akpabio and his team to manipulate Igini must have informed their desire to see him being redeployed.
“But unfortunately, time is too short and for now, I can tell you for free, Mr. Journalist that Igini will remain in Akwa Ibom State to conduct the 2019 polls.
He will not influence the outcome of any election result nor the process of the elections. All he will do is to be very professional. So political parties had better do their jobs and mobilize because the REC will be apolitical”. He concluded.
Meanwhile, there have been some very high level of apprehension in the APC camp ever since it dawned on the opposition that Igini goes nowhere.
THE INK can report that in Public former Governor Godswill Akpabio, Ita Enang and Nsima Ekere will boast of imminent victory. But when they meet in their closet they strategize and plot on how to rig the coming polls.
The APC, THE INK understands is deeply worried that with the imminent redeployment of Musa Kimo who has been promoted to the position of AIG and a new one likely taking over anytime soon, that chances of the APC using the Police to rig the election will further dampen as Udom Emmanuel is winning the popularity game as each day passes by.
Meantime, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Akwa Ibom State Mr. Mike Igini has acknowledged the move APC made against him.
In a chat with some members of the press over the weekend, Igini described the Akwa Ibom Political system as a peculiar one that has lots of blackmails.
He however observed that these vices of blackmails, attempts and plots to rig the coming polls will not see the light of the day under his watch.
With this development and many more to come, all is not well with APC.
No comments:
Post a Comment