By Hon Eseme Eyiboh
The Independent National Electoral Commission today exhibited an uncommon bias in favour of the People’s Democratic Party and its governorship candidate, Mr. Udom Emmanuel at its peace accord signing event at the Ibom Hall, Uyo. In an event, which the electoral umpire advertised it was organizing for all the contestants in the forthcoming election, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Obong Nsima Ekere, was prevented from gaining entry into the hall by security and protocol officers attached to the Akwa Ibom State governor, who is the candidate of the PDP.
Obong Nsima Ekere arrived the venue straight from another event organised by the Methodist Church of Nigeria, to pray for the orderly and peaceful conduct of the 2019 election, an event that had been scheduled before the INEC event. All entreaties to the security and protocol officials of the PDP candidate to allow the APC governorship candidate into the hall, fell on deaf ears.
It was quite unfortunate that the Independent Electoral Commission in the state, conveniently allowed the PDP and the Akwa Ibom State government to hijack the event to the disadvantage of other candidates of other political parties, especially the governorship candidate of the All Progressives congress. An event organized by a supposedly unbiased umpire was compered by Gov. Udom Emmanuel’s Special Assistant on Public Affairs and the governor’s official Master of Ceremonies, Mr Raphael Edem; security was provided by the governor’s security details, while protocol duties were manned by the governor’s
Protocol officials.
The treatment meted to Obong Nsima Ekere is another of the recent open flirtation between INEC in the state and the Akwa Ibom State Government. Just last week, the state government and the PDP took advert spaces in several National dailies drumming support for the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state.
We look forward to a peaceful, credible, free and fair election in the state and the electoral umpire as a critical partner in the electoral process must be independent and seen to be truly independent.
The unfortunate incident at Ibom Hall not withstanding, the All Progressives Congress and its governorship candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere are committed to a violence free election and urge the other party and its candidate to be committed to peace beyond the symbolic signing of a peace accord. This macabre dance is needless and the evil alliance must stop and now.
Hon Eseme Eyiboh
Spokesman, Akwa Ibom State APC Campaign Council and Chairman, Committee on Information and Strategic Communication, APC Campaign Council.
