Akpabio to Emmanuel: You used INEC to purchase victory

Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, described Governor Udom Emmanuel’s victory in Saturday’s governorship polls as a “purchased victory which must be reclaimed”.
Emmanuel, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate was, on Sunday, declared the winner with a total 519,712 votes to defeat his APC candidate, Nsima Ekere, who came behind with 171,978 votes.
Akpabio, who spoke in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, said it was too early for Emmanuel to celebrate his victory, adding that the APC would exploit appropriate legal means to retrieve it.
He claimed that the results collated from the fields were different from the ones declared by the returning officers of the various local governments areas of the South-South state, adding that APC won the elections at the polling units but lost at INEC offices.

“I was shocked when I saw the figures being brandished on the television. I wondered if they were the same results we got on the field that they were announcing on television channels. This shows that Nigeria is in trouble.
“I want to state categorically that those claiming victory, or those regarded as victors in the last election in Akwa Ibom State on the 9th of March, should regard it as purchased victory. It was money at work. The people’s hopes were dashed .
“So, I want to tell Udom Emmanuel and his Peoples Democratic Party that it is too early to celebrate now. We will use appropriate legal means to reclaim that mandate”, Akpabio said.
He also alleged that his local government, which reportedly gave the APC governorship candidate 74,000 votes at the local government collation centres, was reduced to only 60,000 in INEC office.
He accused INEC of “employing PDP members as collation officers”, stressing that 99% of the collation officers, especially those sent to his local government area, were card-carrying PDP members.
“My prayer is that this is not what would befall Nigeria, otherwise, democracy is in peril . ”
But Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mike Igini, described the election as “free, fair and credible”
He said: “When we returned to Akwa Ibom one year, six months and 10 days ago, we promised that we were going to deliver integrity-driven electoral process and that all old things must past away. That’s exactly what we did”.