APC rejects ‘impromptu creation’ of 39 wards in Akwa Ibom ahead of LG poll

Abasifreke Effiong – Uyo

All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom state has rejected what it calls an ‘impromptu creation” of 39 electoral wards in the state by the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission, AKISIEC, ahead of local government polls in October.

The Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission, AKISIEC, announced the creation of 39 new wards last weekend, barely 100 days to the 2020 local government election in the state.

READ : Court orders NDDC to seek consent of Rivers state gov’t before executing projects

The Dune learnt that some communities were omitted in the ward delineation list published on Monday in a state-owned newspaper, The Pioneer, by AKISIEC.

The APC in a release signed by the Akwa Ibom state publicity secretary, Nkereuwem Enyongekere, says it rejects the ward creation in totality, maintaining that AKISIEC had no powers to create wards.

The party however accused AKISIEC of conspiring with the PDP to create wards in total exclusion of other stakeholders.

“The All Progressives Congress Akwa Ibom State Chapter rejects in totality the dubious, unilateral and illegal creation of 39 Electoral Wards in the State by Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) as announced by its Chairman, Mr. Ikoiwak on Sunday, July 26, 2020.”

“The Party therefore, calls on Akwa Ibom people to disregard this illegality, as the State has no such powers to create Electoral Wards.”

“The Constitution of the Federal Government of Nigeria vests the power of creating wards only in Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The nullification of similar wards creation by the Supreme Court when it happened in Cross River State attests to our current position.”

Advertisement.

“Assuming that the State is vested with such power to create Electoral wards, is it constitutional for AKISIEC to conspire with the People Democratic Party (PDP) in the State to create wards to their advantage and in total exclusion of other political parties, stakeholders and communities in the state?”

“ln the Stakeholders’ meeting convened by AKISIEC on Friday, July 17, 2020 which all other political parties including APC were in attendance to discuss the upcoming 2020 local government elections in the State, the creation of additional Electoral Wards in the state was not mentioned at all for discussion. The non inclusion of that on the agenda by the AKISIEC for deliberations exposes the sinister motives of AKISIEC and PDP led government of Governor Udom Emmanuel.”

RELATED STORY : Ondo state electoral commission fixes August 22 for local government election

“And with the upcoming Local Government Elections just around the corner, this impromptu creation of wards amounts to shifting the goal posts in the middle of the match and it is absolutely not acceptable to APC in Akwa Ibom State.”

However, the chairman of AKISIEC, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, announced on Sunday that the October local government would be conducted in the newly created wards.

AKISIEC has created new wards twice under former Governors, Obong Victor Attah and Senator Godswill Akpabio, but the exercise was abandoned after the wards were announced.