Primaries: Igini’s stance not representative of INEC’s neutrality, says Akwa Ibom APC candidate

Eseme Eyiboh, a candidate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom, says the position of the state’s resident electoral commissioner (REC) does not reflect the impartiality expected of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Eyiboh is seeking to represent Eket/Onna/Esit Eket/Ibeno constituency in the house of representatives.

Speaking at a media briefing over the weekend, the APC candidate said the role of Mike Igini, the Akwa Ibom REC, should be addressed by INEC so as not to affect the party in the 2023 elections.

IGINI, APC AND THE AKWA IBOM PRIMARIES

Igini had, in a report submitted to INEC, said the party does not have a governorship candidate, going by the primaries monitored by election officials.

The development came amid a leadership crisis, which had produced two sets of executives — one led by Stephen Ntukekpo and the other by Augustine Ekanem.

The Ntukekpo-led executives are said to be loyal to Godswill Akpabio, former minister of Niger Delta affairs, while that of Ekanem had been reportedly backed by John Akpanudoedehe, former secretary of the APC caretaker committee.

Meanwhile, a federal high court in Abuja, in March 2022, sacked the Ekanem-led officials, and described their election as a result of “illegality”.

Taiwo Taiwo, the presiding judge, had also directed INEC to recognise the Ntukekpo-led executives, and described them as the duly-elected officials of the party in Akwa Ibom.

In the report, Igini had said a governorship primary was scheduled to hold at the Sheergrace Arena in Uyo, but the exercise did not hold, adding that he was later informed that another primary organised by the Ntukepo-led executives held at a different venue.

He, however, said the primary was not recognised.

THE AKPABIO ANGLE

In yet another development, Akpabio, who had contested the APC presidential ticket but later stepped down for Bola Tinubu, clinched the senatorial ticket for Akwa Ibom north-west at a primary organised by the APC on June 9.

The exercise which saw Akpabio win the senatorial ticket followed the withdrawal of Ekperikpe Ekpo, who had won an earlier primary that was later cancelled by the party.

However, the Akwa Ibom REC had insisted that INEC officials did not monitor any primary outside the one conducted on May 27, which was won by Udom Ekpoudom, a former deputy inspector-general of police (DIG).

Meanwhile, INEC has published the names of candidates elected during the primary organised by the Ntukekpo-led executives.

But Akpabio’s name was not listed as a candidate for the 2023 elections, even though the APC had submitted his name to the electoral commission for Akwa Ibom north-west.

‘SHOULD APC BE PUNISHED FOR INEC’S ABSENCE AFTER GIVING DUE NOTICE?’

Speaking on the issues around the primaries and concerns about Igini’s stance regarding the exercise, Eyiboh said personal sentiments should not be allowed to affect the activities of an organisation like INEC.

He also shared a letter dated June 21, 2022, addressed by INEC to the APC, stating that the electoral body, in complying with the judgment of a federal high court, recognises Ntukekpo as the chairman of the party in Akwa Ibom.

“The Commission wishes to formally draw your attention to the subsisting judgement/order of the Federal High Court, Abuja (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1635/2021) which recognized Hon. Obong Stephen Leo Ntukekpo as Chairman of the APC in Akwa Ibom,” the letter, signed by Rose Oriarah-Anthony, reads.

“This is to note that the commission is complying with the content of the judgement.”

Eyiboh also shared other documents of correspondence involving INEC and the party, adding that the case challenging the leadership of Ntukekpo has been resolved at the court of appeal.

He, however, expressed reservations over Igini’s stance on the earlier primaries, adding that such comments go against what the commission should stand for in terms of impartiality.

“Twenty-one days’ notice is the statutory requirement for all political parties to inform INEC of its party primaries. And all the parties, including APC, notified INEC of the conduct of its primaries across the country, including Akwa Ibom. So, the state chairman of the party, who is Ntukekpo, wrote to INEC informing INEC of the venue, date of the conduct of the governorship, senate, house of reps and state house of assembly primaries in full compliance with the electoral act,” he said.

“It is the responsibility of INEC as an institution to engage its administrative procedures once the notice is given. It must not necessarily be the resident electoral commissioner. But the law stipulates that the political party must give 21 days’ statutory notice.

“So, the question is this. Did the political party issue this 21 days’ notice? Did they notify INEC of the venue, time, and date? The answer is yes. Whose responsibility is it to send monitors to go to that place? It is INEC’s responsibility. And when INEC refuses to send its personnel to go to that place, can a political party be punished for INEC’s absence? The answer is no.”

However, INEC has asked candidates such as Akpabio, whose names are missing, to seek redress in court.

On Igini’s stand regarding the conduct of primaries in the state, Eyiboh said INEC needs to do better to improve on the electoral process.

“He acted not only ultra vires, he acted in contempt of his scope of office as a public officer. He conducted himself in a way and manner that was suggestive of not a representative of an INEC that is supposed to be impartial,” he added.

“What Igini is doing, can he function in his public duties using his personality to represent INEC in cases which are purely out of his control? We are not promoting ethical values and institutional integrity. It’s like we’re promoting a personal conflict.”

Eyiboh said while he wasn’t speaking on behalf of Akpabio or the party, he was concerned because whatever affects the party, affects him as a candidate.

“We should be able to raise the stakes of our electoral values, the institutional integrity, and social democratic values by trying to detach individual personalities from the institutions,” he said.

“INEC has done very well to improve on the electoral system. But that is not enough. Their officers should detach their personal opinions and sentiments from the institution.

“As a political party, we are going to have post-primary conflict here and there. So, what we are trying to do now is to engage a series of conflict management strategies, talk to party members, and we are lucky to have very strong personalities in APC in Akwa Ibom.

“On the issue of governorship, when Igini said APC has no candidate, that is not right. Our governorship candidate, Akanimo Udofia, has been most celebrated in recent times.”

Meanwhile, Akpanudoedehe has since resigned his membership of the APC, and he is now the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Akwa Ibom.