Why we withdrew from Essien Udim Re-run Elections - A'Ibom APC

***Appeal Court did not order rerun for Essien Udim state constituency electio

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom state has announced that it will not take part in the rerun election holding in Essien Udim local government on Saturday 25th January.

The party cited bias by INEC as its reason for withdrawal.

The Appeal Court in Calabar ordered a rerun for the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district, Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara/Essien Udim federal constituency and Essien Udim state constituency. But the party argued that the court did not order a rerun or supplementary election for Essien Udim state constituency.

Addressing a press conference in Uyo after a meeting of the State Working Committee of the party, the chairman of APC in Akwa Ibom state, Mr. Ini Okopido, said the party will not take part in the rerun for any of the positions.

“Mike Igini, (the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC) has shown unprecedented bias as INEC REC. If he conducts any election, APC will always withdraw. We don’t have any confidence in him. We are so dissatisfied by the conduct of INEC in Akwa Ibom, so we have withdrawn,” chairman of the party announced.

Okopido said the party had substituted Senator Godswill Akpabio, who was her candidate for the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial election with Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo.

He said the party’s candidates for Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara/Essien Udim federal constituency was ready for the election but will no longer participate in the rerun because of the obvious bias of INEC in the State.

The party chairman however said that neither the tribunal nor the Appeal Court ordered a rerun or supplementary election for Essien Udim state constituency but was shocked to find INEC list Essien Udim state constituency for the rerun.
INEC had declared the APC candidate for Essien Udim state constituency, Mr. Nse Ntuen winner of the election but at the same time failed to issue him with a certificate of return.

Nse Ntuen while addressing journalists on Friday at APC secretariat in Uyo said neither the tribunal nor the Appeal court ordered a rerun for the House of Assembly election which he was declared winner.

He said the rerun called for Essien Udim state constituency by the Mike Igini led INEC was illegal.

“There is no way in the judgment that the Appeal Court ordered a rerun or supplementary election for Essien Udim state constituency. The rerun for Essien Udim state constituency is an illegal act, that is why I cannot be part of it”, he said.

PDP Releases Dates for Congresses Election

 (1) Ward Excos Congresses & 3Ad- Hoc Ward Delegates on Saturday March 7th, 2020

 (2)Ward Appeal on Thursday March 12th

 (3)LGA Excos & Nat Delegates on Saturday March 21, (4)Appeal  Wednesday March 25

 (5)Screening of State and  Zonal Excos on Thursday March 26

(6)Appeal on  Tuesday March 31

 (7) State Congresses on Saturday April 04

 (8) Appeal on Wednesday April 08

 (9) Zonal Congresses on Saturday April 18

(10) Appeal on April 22

(11) Caucus Meeting on Wednesday April 29

 (12)BOT Meeting on Thursday April 30, and

 (13) NEC meeting to Approve of all  Congresses on Thursday April 30, 2020.

IBOM POWER IS NOT THE CAUSE OF OUTAGE IN IKOT ABASI COMMUNITY - MD

The Managing Director of Ibom Power Company Limited, Engr. Meyen Etukudo has said that Ibom power is not the cause of power outage in Ikpa Ibekwe community but that Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) disconnected the community from the electricity grid because they owed about N60million in unpaid electricity bills.

Engr. Etukudo said a similar incident occurred about two years ago when PHEDC disconnected Ikot Abasi from the electricity grid over unpaid electricity bills that allegedly accumulated to about N43million.

“As the Special Assistant (SA) on Power to the Governor at that time, I took the matter to the Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel. After negotiation with PHEDC, the Governor approved that N13million should be paid and the community should be reconnected to the grid”.
The Governor’s aide said, “The money was paid and PHEDC reconnected the community. Subsequently, when PHEDC officials went to collect bills for the electricity supplied for that period, the community did not pay and PHEDC disconnected them because according to PHEDC, the bill had accumulated to about N60million”.

On the community’s agitation to receive power directly from Ibom power plant, the MD said that provision was not included in the original design of Ibom power plant when it was constructed in 2001.
“The wrong belief is that there is a wire that can be connected directly to Ibom power plant, which will give light to the community.

However, power does not work like that. To get power from any power station to the community, there must be a station services transformer. The station services transformer will connect to the host community through a 132kV line. This provision was not at Ibom power over the years. I resumed on 1st August 2016”.

The MD said, “Steps have been taken to solve this problem. Ibom power appointed a consultant to provide a preliminary design and a bill of engineering quantity for the construction of a 132/33kV, 1 x 30mva substation to be constructed adjacent to Ibom power plant. This substation will receive power directly from Ibom power plant and supply Ikot Abasi communities”.

“The Governor directed that I should present the proposal for the construction of this substation at the meeting of the Finance and General Purpose Committee (FGPC), that meeting held on Friday, 10th January 2020” he said.
“The President of Ikot Abasi Youth Council, Idongesit James, was in in my office on that Friday evening, I left him to attend the meeting with the Governor at the FGPC where approval was given for the construction of the 132/33kV, 1 x 30mva substation at Ikot Abasi. How many hours are there between Friday, 10th January when the FGPC meeting held and Monday 13th January that the youths decided to block our entrance in protest?”

He however, said that meetings have been held with the Paramount Ruler of Ikot Abasi, HRM Edidem U J Ntuk Obom, the Local Government Chairman, David Eshiet and other stakeholders in Ikot Abasi to resolve the issues as soon as possible.