Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Mike Igini, on Saturday said he only read that the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom was conducted on social media.
According to him, when he called the Chairman of the Primary Election Committee, Omoba Tunde Ajibulu on the night of Thursday May 26, he told him the election could not go on in the night.
He said he was surprised to read on social media the next day that a governorship primary election was conducted which was not monitored by any INEC officials.
It will be recalled that Obong Akanimo Udofia was declared the winner of the primary by the APC Primary Election Committee, chaired by Omoba Tunde Ajibulu.
However, in a report submitted to INEC headquarters Igini, the REC for Akwa Ibom, said no governorship primary was held in the state as it officials was not aware and did not monitor any exercise.
“We wish to report that the APC governorship primary scheduled to hold on Thursday, May 26, 2022, at the Sheergrace Arena, Nsikak Eduok Avenue, Uyo, did not hold because the APC primary election committee did not come to the venue and did not hold the primary in any other venue monitored by the commission,” the report reads.
“The Resident Electoral Commissioner, the Commissioner of Police and the State INEC Monitoring Committee were present at the venue for the duration earlier stated, but left at about 10:30pm after the Chairman of the Primary Election Committee notified the REC on phone that they would not come to the venue”.
Also speaking on the claim by the committee that INEC monitored the primary that produced Udofia, Igini dared Ajibulu to mention the names of the INEC officials present at the exercise.
“State office of lNEC in Akwa lbom like all other states have submitted the reports of all primary election monitored to Headquarters”.
“Certified copies of the reports have been collected by stakeholders”.
Yes of course, around 10:30 to 11pm I spoke the Chairman of the committee (Ajibulu) and he said it will not go on and we all dispatched only to read on social media the next morning of what they said they conducted that we are not aware and did not monitor”. (Daily Independent)
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