Outgoing Resident Electoral Commissioner of Akwa Ibom state Mike Igini has narrated how politicians made concerted efforts to frustrate his moves to clean up the electoral process in the state
Speaking at a valedictory event in Uyo on Friday, Igini recalled how permanent voter cards in Essien Udim and Obot Akara local government areas in Akwa Ibom state were signed and collected with no records of the real owners behind the collections
Former governor of the state and erstwhile minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio hails from Essien Udim local government area, where election results were inflated in 2019 and later nullified by the courts
Igini said upon investigation, the commission found that politicians in the two council areas were behind the illegally collected PVC’s, which were discovered in their homes.
Also Read: 2023: Intelligence report says politicians planning election violence in Rivers State
He also disclosed how politicians were involved in the recruitment of INEC adhoc staff, a development he said was criminally abnormal.
He said his efforts to correct these anomalies led to a campaign for his removal and redeployment from the state
Igini also reflected on the assassination plot against him in the heat of the 2019 elections and the abduction of INEC adhoc staff. He said he operated with enormous risk to his life and urged the people to continue to stand up and support credible elections
He thanked the judiciary for ensuring that perpetrators of election fraud were punished, saying it has helped to sanitize the process
He called on the people to support initiatives such as the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), a technology which he says will ensure elections reflect the will of the people.
Editor : Ena Agbanoma
