Akpabo tells APC to show prove
Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom state has challenged members of All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state to produce concrete evidence to prove their claims that the April 11 gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections did not hold in the state just as the leadership of APC accuse PDP of electoral fraud.
Akpabio said this yesterday while making his remarks shortly after the presentation of return certificates by Hon. National Commissioner supervising Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers states, Mrs. Thelma Iremiren, to the Governor, Senators and House of Representatives members elect at the INEC Office.
It was gathered that members of the opposition APC including the Governorship candidate, Umana Okon Umana had made several calls on different media for the cancellation of the said exercise, claiming that there were no elections in the state on the said date.
“I challenge the APC in the state to bring out concrete evidence to prove that there were no elections in the state on April 11 2015. I want to report here that the PDP in the state ran the April 11 election at a disadvantage.
‘’ The AIG that was posted to the state, which I don’t know his name, I don’t have his phone number but I am told had threaten every police officer in the state that desires further promotions to support APC as Government at the center had changed.
“It is on record that the only persons arrested for irregularities in that election were APC members including police men. Even the NYSC members arrested were innocent as they were made to thump print under gun point for APC. All the ballot papers recovered from that arrest were thump printed in favour of APC” he said.
Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and member of board of Trustee of the PDP, Obong Victor Attah,had joined thousands of the people of Akwa Ibom state to call for cancellation of the April 11 election. He claimed that the election was characterised by widespread irregularities perpetuated by the PDP.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Obong Umana Okon Umana, had described the declaration of Udom Emmanuel as the winner as a coup against the people of Akwa Ibom state and consequently called for the cancelation of the results
He congratulated the winners of the 2015 general elections in the state, stressing that PDP overwhelming victory was a culmination of years of serious campaigns and achievements.
According to him the Governor elect, Mr. Udom Emmanuel was elected on grounds of his dedication to duty and loyalty to the people of Akwa Ibom.
Thelma Iremiren while presenting the certificates urged the elected political officers to live up to their campaign manifestos that endeared the people to vote them into power when finally sworn into office.
Also speaking, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Barr. Austin Okojie explained that the exercise was in accordance with section 75 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which empowers INEC to issue a sealed Certificate of return at an election in a prescribed form within seven days to every candidate who has won an election under the act.
“It is on the premise of the above statutory provision that the National Commissioner in charge of our state is here to present the sealed certificate of return to the victorious candidates.
“The essence of section 75 (1) of the electoral act 2010 (as amended) is to validate and give legal approval to the declaration of the candidate by the electoral umpire as the winner of the said election.
“Another justification for the issuance of the certificate of return is to forestall a situation where two or more persons will claim to be winners of the same election. The implication therefore is that once an election is conducted, and the result declared, the commission becomes functus officio.
“This is the same spirit with section 68 (1) (c) of the electoral act (as amended) which provides that once a declaration is made and a candidate is returned by a returning officer, it is only a tribunal or a court of law that can upturn the decision. “In the light of the above; I urge all those who participated in the just concluded elections and are not satisfied with the outcome to please follow the path of honour and act in accordance with the provisions of the law by approaching the tribunal to seek redress”
The Governor elect, Mr, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel who spoke onbehalf of others described the victory as a divine mandate which gives all elected persons divine commitment to take the state to a higher echelon.
