A’Ibom North West: INEC’s Report On Winner Of APC Ticket Unchanged, Unalterable -INEC
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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said that the report submitted by its Akwa Ibom office after the APC primary monitored by the commission remains unchanged and unalterable.
The commission also said it is only a court of competent jurisdiction that can change the name of the person that was submitted as winner of the primary. Mike Igini, resident electoral commissioner for Akwa Ibom made this known to TNN in an exclusive interview on Monday.
When asked to reconfirm if it was the retired police DIG, Udom Ekpoudom’s name that was in the report under reference, he answered in the affirmative, but added that nobody would be able to change the situation unless the court of law.
Also on Monday, INEC’s spokesman, Festus Okoye confirmed to TNN in an online message, that at the moment, the commission has not accepted anybody’s name as candidate for the election, since the court was yet to decide on the fate of the two contenders-Senator Godswill Akpabio and Ekpoudom.
He said: “The report of the primary monitored on the 27th of May, were the DIG Ekpoudom emerged remains unchanged and unalterable. That report remains a shiled to those who emerged, irrespective of the fact that their particulars have not been published. It is final.
“Reports of primaries monitored by INEC remain unchanged. All those who emerged remain unchanged. The report will become a sword in the court of law against those who make adverse claims of a primary we never monitored, subject only to what the court will say.”
Akpabio and Ekpoudom have continued to flex muscles over who the candidate of the APC is, for the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District election. During the weekend, Ekpoudom had restated his claim to the ticket in an interview he granted a national newspaper.
But Akpabio rubbished the claims, insisting that Ekpoudom was not the valid candidate. He used words considered derogatory by Ekpoudom.
In the statement, Mr Jackson Udom, spokesman of Akpabio had said “Retired DIG of Police Udom Ekpoudom, in an interview he granted the Punch newspaper today, allegedly claimed to have won the senatorial ticket of the APC for the Akwa Ibom North West District and went further to lie against all known facts that former Minister Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, offered him a ministerial position for him to step down from the Senatorial contest.
Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have dignified this unfounded claims with any response, but for the interest and information of the unsuspecting members of public, who could be taken-in by this bare faced lie, we have to state as follows:
“That Udom Ekpoudom was never the candidate of the APC for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District and as such, there wouldn’t have been any reason(s) for him to be asked to step down for Senator Akpabio.
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“That The Senatorial Primary, he claimed produced him as the candidate, is NOT recognized by the National Working Committee (NWC), which is the legally recognized body to organize such event.
“It is a known fact that Senatorial primaries of the party took place across the country on the 28th of May and not on the 27th of May, where he purportedly claimed he “emerged” the “candidate”
The only recognised primary election for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, was the one ordered and supervised by the NWC of the party on the 28th of May.
“That It was Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo, who was declared winner of the primary, but because of security infractions which characterised the exercise, it was cancelled and a re-conduct of the exercise on the 9th of June, was ordered and conducted, where Senator Godswill Akpabio emerged the winner.
“There was no time and infact, there wasn’t any need for anybody, not to talk of Senator Akpabio, to have asked Udom Ekpoudom to stepdown, when it is a known fact that he wasn’t and was never the candidate of the party at any point in time.
“We understand the frustration the former Police Chief is currently going through with his phantom senatorial candidacy. The frustration has made him to embark on a pity-party trip for cheap recognition and unmerited sympathy.
“We will advise retired DIG Udom Ekpoudom, to focus his energy on blaming those who took him on political wild goose chase, abandoned him to sink deep into political irrelevance, while they seek political succour for negotiation on another platform and not on the former minister.”
Almost immediately, Ekpoudom’s media handlers fired back. They said: “The attention of Ekpoudom Campaign Organisation has been drawn to the Press Statement issued by Senator Godswill Akpabio’s Media Unit through some social media platforms.
“However, we are not engaging issues with Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio since the matter is in the court of competent jurisdiction, instead, we want to bring some salient points to the knowledge of our numerous supporters in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District and beyond.
“Obviously, deceit and fibs are not and will never be in the character of DIG Udom Udom Ekpoudom, who had served the Nigeria Police Force honourable without any blemish.
“And so, using these words “Ekpoudom Seeking Cheap Popularity and Unmerited Pity” and “DIG Udom Ekpoudom (rtd) is a Blatant Liar” in the said publications are all wrong choice of words and derogatory in nature which should not be used when empirical name such as DIG Udom Udo Ekpoudom (rtd), is mentioned.
“Recall, extant laws are explicit in nomination of a party candidate through a valid primary monitored by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and DIG Udom Udo Ekpoudom (rtd), was validly nominated.
“As a matter of fact, we expected Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio to have sheathed its sword after INEC had publicly acknowledged that it never monitored the midnight primary that allegedly produced Senator Akpabio after he lost the APC presidential primary where we all wholeheartedly supported his candidature as a brother.
“In vehemence, these are Nollywood fantasies and meant for distractions but DIG Ekpoudom (rtd), can’t be distracted, rather, he is establishing key indicators to promote the need of the good people of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District through sustainable social, economic and environmental dimensions which will be put into immediate policy thrust document to be sponsored in the floor of the Red Chambers.
“Finally, be informed that DIG Udom Udo Ekpoudom (rtd), is the Senatorial Candidate of APC in Akwa North West Senatorial District.
