Akwa Ibom guber/ assembly elections: YPP rejects results over killings, rigging, others; heads to tribunal

The Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Akwa Ibom State has condemned the conduct and outcome of Saturday’s governorship and state house of assembly elections in the state, citing reported cases of violence, rigging and other irregularities allegedly orchestrated by the Independent National Electoral Commission and the People’s Democratic Party whose governorship candidate was declared winner.

Addressing a news conference in Uyo on Monday, the party insisted that a “well-orchestrated rigging scheme and bloodletting” was undertaken by agents of Governor Udom Emmanuel-led administration and officials of INEC in favour of the PDP.

The press statement read on behalf of the party by the YPP State Secretary, Amb. Kelvin Umoh, said based on the glaring irregularities, its party’s state agent refused to append his signature on the result sheet for the governorship poll.

Among concerns raised by the party were that the Akwa Ibom State Government deployed thugs dressed in police, military and paramilitary uniforms to kill, molest, maim and chase away YPP’s Party Agents and supporters in the polling units and Registration Area Centres (RACs), killing of YPP supporter, Mr Abraham Bassey Ekpenyong at INEC office in Ibiono Ibom by a team of police men from Government House, Uyo led by Danjuma Saleh, carting away of electoral materials and beating up of YPP Local Government Agent and supporters in Atan Offot, Uyo by thugs led by Mr Ime Uwah, SSA to Governor Udom Emmanuel; killing of three YPP supporters in Etim Ekpo, hijacking of electoral materials by PDP chieftains in Ini, Ika, Ikot Abasi, Eket and Oron LGAs, thuggery in ONNA LGA by agents of Governor Udom Emmanuel led by his Chief Protocol Officer, Edmund Uffang, use of fake result sheets and other infractions across the state.

YPP further alleged that the state government and the PDP agents were openly paying people N10,000 to buy their votes and added that “credible intelligence suggest that the state government and the PDP agents paid about N1.3 Million per unit across the 4,353 units in the state, $5,000 to each ward across the 329 wards in the state as part of their voters buying strategy.”

To reinforce its stance that the exercise was a fluke, YPP said reports by local and international election observers corroborated their position.

Announcing that the “flawed exercise” shall be challenged in court, YPP called on Akwa Ibom people to remain hopeful for the restoration of Obong Bassey Albert’s mandate.