A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom, Mr. Eseme Eyibo, has said that all the primaries of the party for nomination of candidates for the 2023 general elections were conducted according to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.
Eyibo, a candidate for Eket Federal Constituency on the platform of the APC, added that the party’s governorship candidate and candidates for other positions will stand elections come the 2023 general elections in Akwa Ibom.
He said this in a press conference in Uyo, on Saturday, June 18, 2022, to debunk the rumour that the party has no governorship candidate for the 2023 general election.
He alleged that the Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mike Igini was “selling the false” claims that the INEC did not monitor the party’s gubernatorial primary that produced Mr. Akanimo Udofia as candidate.
Eyibo, a former parliamentarian said that the failure of Igini to have personally observed the conduct of the governorship primaries, could neither invalidate the process, nor discredit the emergence Udofia as APC governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom.
“It is not true that APC does not have a governorship and other candidates for the 2023 general elections.
“The Akwa Ibom chapter of the party had followed all stipulated procedures in the conduct of the various primaries. At this point in time, it is pertinent to seek answers to some specific questions.
“How could Mike Igini have gone to the Sheer Grace Arena for the governorship primary of APC? Was that the official venue contained in the circular issued by the Stephen Ntukekpo led executive?,” Eyibo asked.
Eyibo said that no law-abiding citizen disobeys a court judgement, except those who have no regards for the rule of law.
He recalled the judgement of the Abuja Federal High Court delivered by Honourable Justice Taiwo Taiwo on March 16 which declared Mr. Ntukekpo as the Chairman of APC in Akwa Ibom.
Eyiboh recalled that the 42-page judgement was explicit, a situation which made the former secretary of the party, Sen. John Udoedehe to withdraw his appeal, which further led to its dismissal by the Appeal Court.
“What we should be interested in is, “Why should Mike Igini constitute himself into a Supreme Court to upturn a judgement, which appeal was further dismissed by the Appeal Court?
“While it is the duty of a political party to notify INEC on its political activities, it cannot drag the Commission into coming to observe them. It is the responsibility of INEC to go to the designated venues to carry out their own duty.
“In the event that Mike Igini left the approved venue of the primaries to go to Sheer Grace Arena, you can then appreciate the fact that he may have been on a voyage of self-destruct,” he said.
On the emergence of Sen. Godswill Akpabio as candidate of the party for Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district, Eyiboh said that the National Secretary of the party, Sen. Iyiola Omisore had issued a circular indicating that the party would reconduct the primary.
Eyibo said that the withdrawal of the winner of the previously conducted election, Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo, necessitated the reconduct and that “such could not have amounted to candidate substitution as falsely peddled.
