APC withdraws from re-run election, give reasons

The All Progressives Congress, APC in Akwa Ibom State said it will not participate in the re-run election scheduled for today, Saturday.

In a press conference on Friday in Uyo, State Chairman of the APC, Mr Ini Okopido said the party has withdrawn from the re-run election in Essien Udim local government area as it was dissatisfied with the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in the state.

Okopido said both Senator Godswill Akpabio whose candidacy has been replaced with Emem Ekperkpe for the Senatorial District election and Nse Ntuen for Essien Udim State Constituency will not participate in the elections.

He said the party has instituted a court process against INEC for failing to affirm the election of Nse Ntuen as the member representing Essien Udim in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

“We have officially as a party withdrawn from the rerun elections in Essien Udim local government area. We are so dissatisfied with the conduct of INEC in Akwa Ibom State and we have withdrawn from the elections. “As far as we are concerned, Igini has shown unprecedented bias against APC. We know he does not like APC in Akwa Ibom State and if he conducts any election in Akwa Ibom, the party will withdraw. Igini has not been fair to us as a state,” he said.

Meanwhile the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom has accused the Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio of perfecting plans to rig the state and National Assembly rerun elections on Saturday. National Legal Adviser of the PDP, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem said in Uyo that Akpabio was planning to replicate the ‘Warsaw’ violence he meted out during the last election. Enoidem, who is also the chairman of the PDP election committee for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, said, ” the ancient English proverb fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me will be put to test during the forthcoming court ordered rerun in Essien Udim Local Government Area.