Akwa Ibom LG Election: How APC won my LG – Akpabio

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has commended Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State on the outcome of the local government elections in the state.

Mr Akpabio made the commendation during plenary on Thursday.

There has been controversy on the outcome of the local government elections conducted on Sunday in Akwa Ibom, especially in Essien Udim Local Government Area, where the senate president hails from.

Akwa Ibom is governed by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the party won 30 of the 31 local government areas in the state.
Usoro Effiong, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), won the election in Mr Akpabio’s local government area.

Many people, including Michael Afangideh, the man regarded as the political leader of Essien Udim, insisted that the PDP candidate won the local government, not the APC candidate.

In his comment during the plenary, Mr Akpabio said the APC candidate was the authentic winner of the election because he had the majority of the votes.
He said the elections were not perfect but appreciated the state governor for allowing the APC candidate to win the chairmanship of the Essien Udim council.

“But let me point out that in a quiet moment, the elections were not perfect. The local government elections were not perfect.

“My colleagues are even appreciating the state government for remaining steadfast, realising that it would be impossible for the senate president to lose votes even in his own local government.

“And that for him, some governments would have gone ahead to even announce what they like, saying that he belongs to the federal government and do what he wants there. But that he announced, the APC chairman of my local government only won the elections. That is where the commendation comes from,” Mr Akpabio said.

The senate president said with the declaration of the APC candidate as the winner of his local government, it means there is hope for improvement in the electioneering system in the state and the country at large.

“With people like Governor Eno, there is hope. Not that the elections were perfect. I hope you understand that there is hope for us to have a national dialogue with a view to changing the situation.

“And so I actually commend Governor Eno for that. My colleagues have said it was a very uncommon gesture on his part. And then Senator Abba Moro, you started this, you brought this up, and then you had support across party lines,” he said.

Repositioning local governments

Mr Akpabio stressed the need to reposition the local government system of governance.

“Now, the world needs to know that it is not limited to only the PDP states, that the share of local government elections goes beyond party lines. I think that’s the conclusion of the Senate. And that we need for us to do something to reposition the local government as a third tier of government.

“What you are seeing here is that it has never really been a third tier of government. So we commend the Supreme Court of Nigeria for the ruling that the funds of local government should go directly to local governments.

“But then we on our part in the National Assembly must give it, we must take the next step to ensure that the decision that has been so far given by the Supreme Court becomes alive,” the senate president stated.

How Akpabio conducted LG elections as governor

Mr Akpabio said when he was governor of Akwa Ibom between 2007 to 2015, he conducted credible local government elections twice.

“When I was a governor, you asked me what happened in my state. I did local government elections twice. And I remember one of the local governments, even when we did not seem to have opposition then.

“I was surprised when they called me to ask me, sir, we have a tragedy due to one local government out of 31. And I was in Abuja. I said, what is that? They said stakeholders are shouting that it cannot happen. I told the chairman, those are the winners,” he added.

Obaseki lacks respect for democracy

Mr Akpabio also said Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State did not respect democracy and the rule of law for not swearing in some members of the Edo State House of Assembly.

“Well, to be honest with you, it’s not everybody that would not know that there is a problem. I know that Senator Adam Oshiomole is itching to talk, because in his state, I think the governor is a PDP. He may not have much respect for democracy and the rule of law.

“But the governor of a state, he has run the state with 10 members of the House of Assembly to the shame of democracy for almost four years. People that were elected were not sworn into office,” he said.