SENATOR John Akpan Udoedehe, the Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) governorship candidate in the last election in Akwa Ibom State, insists that he actually won the elections, just as he disclosed intention to challenge the results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which he believed were cooked up to favour the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Governor Godswill Akpabio.How were the elections, particularly the governorship election, which you contestedFirst of all, I would say it was like a civil war. We expected the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to observe its own rules by allowing al the parties concerned to witness the movement of the electoral materials, at least to show transparency and that they are above board.We were sent a text in the morning around 8am that they would distribute the materials around 1am. Later, there was another text that it would be by 7am, so I called the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) around to know why they were removing the materials without our being there.She asked who I was to query when they should distribute materials, but I reminded her that I am a contestant in the election. Believe me, she was quite unfriendly and very hostile.I called the state director of the State Security Service (SSS) and the Commissioner of Police and they asked me to write formally, which we did through one of our lawyers.The SSS insisted that though INEC had made the mistake of removing the materials without our presence, but that we must have an inventory of the materials. That took almost a whole day, which was why the materials were not distributed that day.We actually asked for Form EC 40G and the debate and disagreement was so strong that, from what I was told, they had to call INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega for clarification, because the numbering was not serial and some people didnt carry those papers.So, we insisted on that, because we have heard about the printing of ballot papers, falsification of so many things and the originals of elections materials being given to a particular political party, and a number of other issues.We insisted, just to give confidence. But they refused us everything and we went into the election thinking that in consonance with INEC guidelines, they would allow us crosscheck the materials meant for a particular local government up to the unit level.But nothing was done, so we decided to go along so as not to be seen as over-reacting. Because of the way we confronted them, they allowed election to be conducted in some areas, but did not allow election to hold in other areas.They had a lot of techniques; one was that where you are strong and had more than 1, 000 supporters, if you are careless, they would and shoot in the air, using some people in police uniform, whether are genuine policemen or not, we dont know, as people scamper for safety, they would take the materials away.This happened almost everywhere we have strong sympathy, especially at the collation centres. In some instance, they blocked the centres, using heavily armed security men, sometimes with armoured tanks.We collected results from the units and wards and have been able to ascertain that we actually won the election in about 22 local government areas, but at the collation centre, they actually wrote different results, not minding the population of those areas.In the whole of Anang land, they didnt allow us in to take part. We have evidence that they merely thumb-printed the ballot papers. We didnt have any chance; they didnt want us there. They made sure they won 100 per cent there and scored ACN zero.Can you believe Akwa Ibom having over one million voters as a state like Lagos Are we saying we are politically as aware as Lagos, aside the population issue, to record such a turnout in a governorship election How can the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) score over 900, 000 votes and the ACN just over 100, 000What happened was that they actually wrote the results, because even while we were awaiting the results, there was news that (Governor Godswill) Akpabio won in 28 local government areas and I won in just two.There was extreme violence; they perpetrated violence and intimidation across the state. I have never seen a thing like that. In certain areas, like Ibiono, where the people are strong, it was like a cowboy show.It was the height of desperation on display by people who ought to have integrity and honour scrambling for power as if that is the end of their lives.We were actually raped; all the humiliation you are seeing were organised; Uyo is like a ghost town, people are mourning. The affection that is supposed to accompany legitimacy is completely eroded.Where was your party agents when all these things you alleged were happeningWho can stand the power of the gun In some areas, there were scared away by armed men who carted away the materials, while in others, they collected the real results but were chased away at the collation centres. We have photographs of what they did to some of our party agents t the local government collation centres.Dont forget that the guideline says they are supposed to announce the results at the polling units and paste it there for people to see, which they did not do. No rules were observed; it was only militancy that reigned all over the state.It is different when you are facing party thugs, compared to when you are facing thugs shielded by security men.It is like they dont care about us.Specifically, what are your grouses regarding the governorship election in Akwa Ibom StateMy grouses are that the INEC guidelines have not been followed. In any game, you must play by the rules. There cannot be real democracy without those institutions that guarantee confidence in the populace.Where you have the security that is supposed to protect you turning against you or the INEC that is supposed to be an unbiased umpire taking sides, what do you call thatWe went into the race because the President guaranteed free and fair elections, I didnt know that INEC would do free and fair election only in some areas.Today, they are planning to bring men to confess that I gave them arms. He is planning to kill people to hang me. I am using this opportunity to alert Nigerians and the international community about these plans.But there is calm in town. What do you make of thatIt is due to my Christianity and ability to calm my people not to resort to violence. I am the one holding the peace of Akwa Ibom, because I have asked my people to remain calm, based on my principle, because I dont believe in the power of man, but of God, more so, I wont rule over dead people.Two wrongs cannot make a right; it is not that I am weak.The governor, having won the election, even though you claim to have actually won the election, you fear any vendetta on your people by AkpabioOh yes, he is doing that already. He is pursuing my running mate in the election and the party officials who refused to be bought over.That alone would create tension in the state, and I hope they realise that. I have been calming the people down, but he is still going round to arrest our people, while the police have refused to arrest or question those we accused of committing electoral offences. They are untouchable.Are you saying the election was not free and fairWhere was it free and fair, when you cannot even ask the REC a simple questionIs it possible for ACN to score about five votes in a whole local government areaHow can that be possible if they did not over-rig Does it mean out local government and ward executive members did not vote for us Does it mean we dont have more than five supporters in a whole local government area Does it mean all our candidates did not vote for usThat is why sometimes you find that in their results, the people were said to have over-voted; the figures recorded exceed the number of registered voters in an area, like in Ukanafun.First and foremost, they must look for the real results, which shows that we won the election and have the peoples mandate and legitimacy.If they dont, we would go to the tribunal.Given that the onus is on the petitioner to prove his case, do you think you have enough evidence to sway the tribunalOf course, as long as we all believe in truth, not inducement. We pray that God should control the hearts of those going to handle the case of Akwa Ibom State.We have the evidence to win our case.What is this news that your party chairman in the state has congratulated the governor on his re-electionAkpabio can induce anybody, and he induced our chairman to do what he did.The party has met and decided to suspend the chairman and gave him one week to defend himself. So, he is on his own regarding his congratulation of Akpabio. We have set up a panel for him to appear and explain whether he did it or did not, because his action does not have the support of the state executive of the party.The level of decay and poverty in society has made some people to do all sorts of things. You cannot subject human behaviour to laboratory test to ascertain the way he or she would behave under certain circumstances.That may be why some people are subjected to shrines. For me, being governor is not my life; my life is my honour.At a point close to the election, there was news that ACN and others were going to boycott the polls. What actually happened and whyIt was this same state chairman of our party that wanted to create confusion; he has been romancing with Akpabio. We heard he was doing so, but we initially didnt have evidence to that effect, and being people who follow the law, we couldnt take any action against him until this recent episode.But we were quoted out of context on some of the issues. What we said was that we wanted the checklists to be observed, so that we can take part in the presidential election in the state. That was the protest, because we needed to talk about those who died.There is this argument that you are only popular in Uyo, the state capital, and environs and not the entire Ibibio land, let alone across the stateThat is deception; you know in politics people paint such picture about opponents. If it were not, how come we won the House of Representatives seat for Uyo Federal Constituency, consisting of wards outside the state capitalIt is because Uyo is an urban centre where it is difficult for anybody to hijack electoral materials at will.Put the other way round, this is where Akpabio claims to have performed very well, why was he rejected here It is because the election here was adequately observed and monitored by both local and international teams.It is also argued that the outcome of the governorship election followed the pattern in earlier polls, where PDP won most of the seatsWe also cried out during those elections about rigging, but nobody listened to us. They did not take us serious, that of why people come on television to analyse what they dont know.If they were popular, why did they not allow our party agents in their supposed areas of strength to take part in the electionsThat is why INEC must keep all the electoral materials, especially the ballot papers used in the elections safe, because the forensic experts may have to analyse them to prove that the elections were rigged.Why are you not calling for the cancellation of the resultsBecause when you put all the wards and local government areas together, I won the election, in terms of the highest number of votes cast and two-thirds of the local government areas. That is why I am confident.
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