APC LACKS MORAL JUSTIFICATION TO BLAME ANYBODY FOR ITS FAILURE – ALM
A socio-political group, Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement, has reacted to attempt by the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state to perpetuate electoral fraud said the, saying it lacks moral justification to point fingers at any person or organization regarding its failure at the polls.
In a statement signed by its leader, Prince Emmanuel Sam, the group said “Elections in Akwa Ibom State have since been concluded, but the All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to come to terms with the massive rejection it suffered from the people clearly shown in the results of both the Presidential/National Assembly and Governorship/State House of Assembly elections. Ranting about the outcome of the widely applauded election by the APC have been no doubt very entertaining.”
“Typical of a bad loser, the APC has spared no effort at lamenting and trying to find faults in the electoral process that has been copiously praised by local and foreign observers to be credible, free and fair. Rather than accept that its failure was largely due to the fielding of unpopular candidates and poor campaigns, the APC is blaming everyone including INEC and the PDP. The APC lacks moral justification to point fingers at any person or organization. Few honest members of the party have admitted honourably that their party did not prepare for the election. This has been confirmed by Obong (Dr) Godwin Noah, the party’s Chairman, Subcommittee on Security, Etinan APC Campaign Committee, while speaking on why APC lost the 2019 polls in the state.”
“The APC was not prepared for the election. Its leaders were only planning to intimidate, coerce and rob Akwa Ibom people of their inalienable right to choose freely at the polls. That prompted the craze at every of their campaigns, leaders of the party sung the fabled “federal might”. Nevertheless, everyone saw the might in the unprecedented massive deployment of military and Police personnel to the state, incessant arrests of PDP stalwarts on trumped up charges before and during the election.”
“There are evidences that the APC did not spare any arsenal at its disposal in its failed attempt to ‘capture’ Akwa Ibom State (using the words of APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomole); but all the evil schemes failed through God’s divine intervention. We saw the schemes manifest a day after the bogus ‘thank you’ visit to Akwa Ibom by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the National Chairman of the Party, Adams Oshiomole. We saw the 11 buses loaded with over 100 thugs from Edo state, were caught and handed over to the Police only for the Police to release them, claiming they came to the state for a nonexistent APC youth rally! The party cannot obliterate from public record the disgraceful behaviour if its leader, the outgoing senator, Chief Godswill Akpabio, during the national and state elections in Essien Udim, whence he was reportedly connived with his cousin, SUPOL Idorenyin Akpabio to rain terror on members of the PDP, voters, election observers and INEC staff.”
“Consequently, if the party insists that the election ‘was fraught with manifest irregularities and wide spread electoral infractions’, it is merely confessing to a crime it committed within a very limited area of influence, which as a matter of fact failed to affect the results from the entire state. We understand APC’s grouse against INEC and its officials especially the REC, Mr.Mike Igini. It may be true that APC’s onslaught against Igini was as a result of its inability to have the REC manipulate the election in their favour. A curious point that has perhaps eluded leaders of the party is that the federal governnent controlled INEC is already aware of the impeccable character of the REC. Therefore, it may take more than unsubstantiated accusations to indict him.”
“There are still reasons to believe that had the party spent half of the resources it is spent to blackmail INEC in ward tours, its outing may not have been as miserable as it was. That at least would have given the party a fair basis to create more false claims ahead of election tribunal hearing than it is doing now. It is public knowledge that the APC is plotting to arm twist judiciary officials sitting on the tribunal. This is why it has prayed for the relocation of the tribunal to Abuja its leaders believe “federal might” could have an influence. On this, we insist that the Electoral Act is very clear on the location of election tribunal for states elections. We insist that Akwa Ibom state is peaceful and suitable for the election tribunal.”
