•INEC’s Silence, an endorsement of Speaker Otong’s impunity–IPAC blasts INEC
Our Correspondent
Worried by the refusal of INEC residents electoral commissioner in Akwa Ibom State Mr. Obo Effanga to address the rising controversy surrounding the recent comment made by Elder Udeme Otong, the Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, exposing plot to rig 2027 general election in Akwa Ibom State, stakeholders from different political parties and concerned citizens of the State have accused the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom State of alledgedly fine tuning plot with APC government in Akwa Ibom State to rig 2027 election in Akwa Ibom State.
The suspicion is fuel by the refusal of the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Obo Effanga to address the press and clarify the air on the comment of Speaker Otong who was caught recently in a viral video boasting that 2027 election would be the cheapest in Akwa Ibom State, claiming that 26 tickets of lawmakers of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly in 2027 are already in his pocket, intact.
“All the 26 House of Assembly tickets are already in my pocket, intact. I will be the one to share them to other local government constituencies. I made the negotiations. No one else did. I will personally choose who becomes a House of Assembly member and hand the ticket to the person from my pocket. If I see somebody who will come to give the governor trouble, I will tell him that ticket should not be given to such a person,” Speaker Otong had boasted in the viral video.
“Election is a contest. I contested in 2019 with everyone and won. They contested against me again in 2023 from all clans, and I defeated them. They will always contest, from Afahaobong clan, midim clan and even Abak clan but I will always win.”
This third term I am going, I didn’t even want it, but he (refering to Governor Eno) told me to join the race that he will work with me till he finish his tenure and hand over to whoever we have both agreed to give. Is it that one that you should be worry about? Just go and sleep, don’t worry yourselves, my third-term election will be the freest, cheapest and most successful. Before 12 noon, the election will be over,” Otong had added.
Reacting to Speaker Udeme Otong’s comment, a body of registered political parties in Nigeria, Inter- Party Advisory Council, IPAC Akwa Ibom State chapter in a press briefing in Uyo, rejected what the body described as an authoritarian posturing by Speaker Udeme Otong and questioned the integrity of the leadership of INEC in Akwa Ibom State over its refusal to debunk such claim by made by the Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, 48 hours since such claim was made.
According to the group, “IPAC rejects this authoritarian posturing in its entirety, raise questions that demands answers. IPAC hereby demand answers on the following, how election to be conducted by INEC would be concluded by 12 noon as implied by Speaker Udeme Otong? The basis upon which such conclusions or compromise was reached if at all? Why INEC has not publicly debunked this claim or whether its silence is been misconstrued as endorsement. These issues strike at the heart of the electoral integrity and must be addressed properly.”
Meanwhile citizens of Akwa Ibom State have argued that INEC’s continued silence over the development risks eroding public trust in the electoral process. Some commentators have gone as far as questioning whether the commission is functioning effectively in Akwa Ibom State or whether its local presence has been reduced to a mere formality.
