A Presiding Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ajani Isaac Oluwaseyi, in the Etim Ekpo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has narrated how he was forced to change the supplementary election results under duress in favour of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The supplementary election which took place at Abak and Etim Ekpo Federal Constituency was reportedly marred with rigging and intimidation of INEC officials.
247 voters were accredited by Bimodal Voter Accreditation System at Village Hall, Ntak Inyang, Etim Ekpo Ward 4 but was fraudulently changed to 836.
The Presiding Officer said in a letter obtained by SaharaReporters that they were forcibly diverted while on their way to the INEC office and forced to change the results in favour of the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party.
According to the letter “The election was conducted and at the close of the election. We were conveyed to the INEC office but diverted to another place in place of INEC office where we were forced to manipulate the results under duress.
“The BVAS reads 247 against the 836 that they claimed. This is my submission.”
Meanwhile the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Clement Jimbo, has called for the cancellation of the results and described as charade which would not stand the test of time.
Jimbo was said to be leading with a margin of 2862 votes before the conduct of the supplementary election.
It would be recalled that Jimbo had recently raised the alarm of plot by the ruling party to manipulate the Abak/Etim Ekpo/ Ika Supplementary election.
He said the conspiracy agenda was aimed at Inflating figures and votes in order to suppress, surpass and undermine the existing wide margin of 2,962 in favour of the APC and give the PDP the leeway to steal the election.
The statement read in part “Abak/ Etim Ekpo/ Ika Federal Constituency has a total of 386 Polling Units, 31 Registration Areas (Wards) and 3 Local Government Areas (Abak, Etim Ekpo and Ika). A list published on the Commission’s website indicates that the Commission is planning to hold supplementary election for the federal constituency in 25 polling units.
“We are minded to alert the public of ongoing devious efforts by compromised elements within the Commission, acting in collaboration with some corrupt leaders and interested persons within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, to engage in dubious, sinister and illegal efforts and actions which are geared towards manipulating the forthcoming supplementary election in our federal constituency, with the singular agenda of concocting inflated, fraudulent and fictional figures and votes in order to suppress, surpass and undermine the existing wide margin of 2,962 in favour of the APC and give the PDP the leeway to steal the election.
“As part of this fraudulent scheme, a plan has been hatched by some officials of the Commission, acting in concert with their sponsors in the PDP, to illegally increase the number of polling units where supplementary election is to hold in the federal constituency.
“This fraudulent scheme has now been substantiated by a worrisome publication on the Commission’s website to the effect that the April 15, 2023 supplementary election for Abak/ Etim Ekpo/ Ika Federal Constituency will be held in 25 polling units.
“We have undertaken a rigorous verification and investigation of the listed 25 polling units as published by the Commission. We found to our chagrin, that the Commission has not offered cogent and verifiable reasons, on the basis for isolating the said 25 polling units for supplementary election.”
Clement also alleged that there had been several high level meetings held by interested persons within the PDP to strategise on how to militarise the supplementary election with heavy deployment of political thugs and fake policemen and fake soldiers.
