The inconclusive National Assembly elections in Ikono/Ini and Abak Federal Constituencies of Akwa Ibom State, were rescheduled for April 15, were disrupted by violence.
108scoop reports that INEC had during the March 18 general elections declared elections inconclusive in few areas of the state following crisis.
Similar situation happened again in which
The incumbent House of Representatives member for Ikono/Ini, Mr Emmanuel Ukpong Udo, who decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to pick the Young Peoples Party (YPP) ticket contested against former Commissioner in the stat
Ukpong Udo, leading Edet of the PDP with a margin of 4,161, while in the Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency, Clement Jimbo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), lead incumbent lawmaker, Aniekan Umanah, with 2,962 votes.
Out of the 17 units, the powere re-conducted in Ikono/Ini, materials in seven units were hijacked by armed security agents, suspected to be loyal to the ruling PDP.
An INEC official was alleged to had been shot at Itak unit 2 when he allegedly resisted to hand over ballot materials to some thugs after voting.
Hon. Goddy Umoh, a former Commissioner and current Chairman, House of Assembly Service Commission (HASC), who spoke to journalists after voting at his Nnung Udoe Itak, Ward 11, village council hall, described the election as peaceful.
He noted that it was gathered that violence erupted around the Registration Area Centre (RAC) and other voting units, soon after as armed hoodlums, allegedly backed by security agents, seized the ballot materials amid sporadic shooting and injuring dozens of voters and officials.
“The elections started peacefully In the early hours before materials started arriving from 10:00 am from the RAC to the 17 units, but a few minutes after voting, hijacking of polling materials started with heavy shooting.
The NYSC member, who was allegefly shot in the leg at Ikot Efre, Itak unit 2, and another at unit 9, along with others were said to have been rushed to the hospital.
“We are yet to know how they are faring,” one electoral official attached to the Afaha Obio Enwang primary school narrated the incident to Journalists.
Fuming over what he described as open cases of intimidation and deliberately orchestrated violence to disrupt the peaceful exercise, Emmanuel Ukpong Udo, who called for the cancellation of the elections in the affected units, urged his supporters, who thronged his Macaire Resort at Ikot Ekpene, to remain calm, while waiting for the final announcement by INEC.
In the same vein, skirmishes with casualties were reported in Etim Ekpo LGA Ward 7 at Ibio Nnung Achat community and Etok Uruk Eshiet Ward 3, where thugs disrupted the contest with violence and hijacking of ballot materials after the polls.
From the camp of the YPP House of Representatives member seeking a return under the platform, it was learnt from his close aide that “tension has been defused and calm returned following the declaration by the INEC National Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, that any disputed results should be discountenanced and the outcome declared a nullity.”
