AKS PDP Primaries of Troubles!

…Etiebet, Ekpenyong, Assam, Ekere,Ors Reject Results…Say Massive Defection May Hit PDP if…

By Ephraim Ikpe

Atuekong Don  Obot  Etiebet, CON, a founding member of the PDP  and permanent member of Board of Trustees and other aggrieved elders have condemned and rejected the result of the House of Assembly Primaries election done on November 29, 2014 describing it as fraught with “inconsistencies and irregularities” which Etiebet said violated the Electoral Law and the PDP Guidelines for such elections.  

Etiebet had said, “I am not satisfied with what happened as regards PDP House of Assembly Primaries in the State”.

Obong Nsima Ekere, 2015 guber Aspirant

Speaking to Journalists in his Ewet Housing residence in Uyo on Sunday December 1, 2014, he complained that on the 1^st of November, 2014, Ward Congresses meant to be held in the State were not held, but he heard names were sent to the national leadership of the PDP purported to have been elected at the said Ward Congresses.  He said that he complained through petitions to the national body of the Party and alerted the Press, got assurances that the issue raised would be addressed, but such was not done.

He observed that a list(delegates list) purportedly produced and signed by Mr Paul Ekpo, PDP State Chairman was made public by some section of the media in the state, which he said Mr Paul Ekpo later denied having anything to do with such list.

He complained that they(the aggrieved elders) were still waiting for the Electoral Panel to come with the delegates list from the National Working Committee(NWC) signed by the National Organizing Secretary of the Party, but never heard the Panel arrived or held any meeting with anybody.  He said the panel was supposed to address the Party stakeholders, aspirants, INEC etc and if there was to be any change of venue of the election, it was that electoral panel that was supposed to do it. 

Obong Paul Ekpo, AKS PDP Chairman

He said they (elders)were not told any of such things by anybody, not even a press statement to that effect.  He said the next thing they heard was that most of the elections meant to be held at Constituency headquarters were instead moved to Uyo Police Mobile base, Uyo Sports Stadium, Ukana Ikot Ntuen Police Barracks and other places other than what  the PDP Guidelines for such election says it should be.

Quoting the PDP Guidelines Etiebet said, “for the purpose of nominating a State Assembly candidate the Party shall hold a special congress at designated centre of the State Assembly Constituency at a date approved by the National Executive Committee... and that any official change of venue shall be done by means of written publication and announcement in the electronic media not less than three days to the commencement of the Primary election”.  He said when he reported the matter to the National Organizing Secretary on phone he assured that he was going to call and inform the Commissioner of Police that no change of venue for the election was authorized, but failed to act.  He said that what was done in the name of primary election was null and void as the PDP Guidelines has said already that such irregularities were enough grounds for nullification of such election. “To me as a person I consider all the purported election done yesterday as null and void”, Atuekong Don Etiebet said.

Mr Umana Umana, APC guber candidate

He said that he could not understand what was happening to PDP in Akwa Ibom state, adding that from what he has seen since November 1^st to November 29^th, PDP and the rights of the people in PDP in the state have been trampled upon and people cannot go out to elect leaders of their choices as the internal democratic principle of the Party has been trampled upon as well. He prayed that what he called “virus” affecting Akwa Ibom should not affect any other state or the national body of PDP, adding that if it happens he would worry for the PDP and what it stands for.

Asked if he has confidence in the national leadership of the Party because of its taciturn approach to his complaints he said if nothing was done by the national body he was worried for the PDP in Akwa Ibom State and prayed that the virus infecting Akwa Ibom should not infect the national leadership of the PDP.

He was asked to comment on whether the silence of the National leadership of the Party was in any way connected with governor Akpabio’s theory of “what money cannot do more money can do it” but he said he did not know.

He warned that PDP should be very careful of losing any member to a strong opposition Party like the APC in the State, advising that all necessary steps should to be taken to bring all members of the Party under the umbrella of unity.

Etiebet said he has been bombarded by aspirants that zoning and rotation arrangements in their localities have been disregarded and that they were aggrieved, but he pleaded with them to be calm.  He also stated that the movement of Umana Umana with many persons to APC was not a healthy development for the PDP. He said that the National Working Committee should note that something was wrong in Akwa Ibom PDP and that it should look into it soonest.

Gov. Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State

Asked if the elders, aspirants and others who are aggrieved would defect to other Political Parties if the NWC of PDP does not act by this weekend Atuekong Don Etiebet said the aspirants and elders would individually  find their levels like water.  He said he is a founding father of the PDP and would continue to “cry out to them” but that it was left for the aggrieved to hear him or not.

Lending his voice to the position of Don Etiebet, Ambassador Assam Assam, SAN, himself a guber aspirant said the exercise conducted by PDP(House of Assembly Primaries) amounted to “nullity”.   He distributed copies of a letter(dated 29^th November 2014) he wrote to the Inspector General of Police complaining that using Police Barracks (Ukana, Ikot Ekpene and Idoro in Uyo)other than the venues stated for the primaries of the PDP would make the Police appear Partisan and would “compromise the Force in every material respect”.

Another founding member of PDP, Engr. Dr. Chris Ekpenyong in his contribution said they formed the PDP in Don Etiebet’s house which they were sitting, recounted his ordeal how, as a statutory delegate of the PDP he went to Ikot Ekpene his State Constituency Centre to cast his vote at the council hall, and waited endlessly only to be told that the venue was shifted to Ukana, an action he said was a negation of the guidelines of the Party, adding, “as far as I am concerned, there was no primary election yesterday”. He said he was worried for the position of PDP in AKS.

Expressing his concern, Obong Nsima Ekere said “since the list is faulty whatever comes out of it is faulty”.   Inibehe Okorie said that if PDP does not listen to the promptings of Don Etiebet the ballots will count in 2015.  Senator Aloysius Etok said that power will not come from one person as they will make the ballot boxes to count in Akwa Ibom State.

Those present at the press briefing were, Atuekong Don Etiebet, Dr. Chris Ekpenyong, Obong Nsima Ekere, Senator Aloysius Etok,  Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo, Hon. Patty Etete Ineme, Barr Austin Mbe, Hon. Ededet Ekanem, Mr Inibehe Okorie and a host of other aspirants from many local government areas.

 Meanwhile the state governor and the State Party Chairman, Mr Paul Ekpo and some local government Chairmen had said the House of Assembly primaries were successful, peaceful, orderly, free and fair and that those elected were a clear demonstration of the will of the people of the various State constituencies.