The political leader of Essien Udim local government area, Mr. Michael Afangide, has lashed out at the declaration of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the recent chairmanship election in the parliamentary area. I refused.
Afangide expressed his dissatisfaction to Premium Times on Wednesday. Why should we be happy? All my people are crying. ”
His comments came in the wake of a contentious election process that left many questioning the legitimacy of the results.
The political situation in Essien-Udim is further complicated by the fact that a prominent APC member, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, is from the area.
Mr. Afangide accused the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom of engaging in what he called a “barter” arrangement, with the PDP to gain political influence in the upcoming 2027 elections. suggested that he had allowed the APC to claim victory in Essien-Udim. .
Despite the turmoil in Essien-Udim, the PDP won 30 of the 31 local governments in the state.
The first declaration by AKISIEC had named PDP candidate Enobong Friday as the winner of the chairmanship election in Essien Udim. However, this announcement was later retracted and the committee declared APC candidate Ntiedo Usoro as the winner.
A video clip circulating online shows the returning officer, Inyang Atting, with the PDP candidate garnering 55,612 votes on Friday compared to 686 for APC’s Usoro. He said he received only votes.
“That Enobon Friday of the PDP has complied with the requirements of the law, obtained a majority of votes and is hereby declared elected.
“I would like to add that in addition to receiving a majority of votes, Enobon Friday also received more than 25 percent of the votes in all 13 wards of Essien Udim Local Government Area,” said the Medical and Public Health Parasite. said Utting, professor of science and epidemiology. The University of Uyo said this in a declaration made on Saturday, apparently immediately after the election.
But on Sunday, when AKISIEC announced the name of the winner of the chairmanship election, the name of the APC candidate instead of PDP was listed as the winner of the Essien Udim election.
This development has led the people of Akwa Ibom to question the credibility of the election.
The 106-year-old Afangide claimed that the PDP candidate secured 55,612 votes while the APC candidate secured 686 votes in the chairmanship election in Essien Udim.
“PDP won in all the wards,” he said. “After some time, there was another announcement from somewhere in the APC that the leader of the APC (Akpabio) wants Essien Udim and we should give him Essien Udim.
“The person who received the least number of votes within the APC was declared the winner.”
Afangide said many youths in the local government area barricaded major highways on Sunday to express their disapproval of the Electoral Commission’s declaration.
“Some young people are still with me. I still beg them not to be violent,” he said.
He, too, was not satisfied with APC’s declaration of victory in Essien Udim, but said there was not much he could do about it as age had “slowed him down”.
“What are you going to do? Are you going to fight someone? I’m 106 years old. I’m not a young man anymore.
“The governor wants to meet me by 4pm today (Wednesday, October 9th). I will go there with 20 of Essien Udim’s men to meet him and listen to him. intend to.”
Afangide said he would send a message to Akpabio after meeting with Governor Eno.
Several people familiar with Essien Udim and Akwa Ibom’s politics told Premium Times that Afangide is considered Akpabio’s “political father”.
Afangide told the newspaper that he helped Akpabio become Akwa Ibom City commissioner, governor and later senator.
“There are about 10 local governments in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district. After he (Mr Akpabio) finished his term as governor, I asked the people what should be done for him. They said they should buy a cow for him. I said no, that’s not enough.
“Then it was Abaku’s turn to produce a senator. I begged (Emmanuel) Enoidem to allow me to hand over the Senate to him (Akpabio) and the people accepted. Since becoming a senator, he never calls me again because he said I should go with him to APC and I said no.
“I told him I brought you to PDP from nowhere and I don’t want to leave PDP,” Afangide said.
The platform informed Afangide that some people believe that if the APC does not win in Essien Udim, it will be a disgrace for the Senate President.
“He should get it by votes, not by power,” he countered. “If he wanted it, he should have called some people in the PDP (and discussed it).”
