A former deputy speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Uwem Udoma, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to boycott the local government elections.
Udoma made the call yesterday following the creation of additional electoral wards by the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC).
He argued that the electoral body lacks the powers to create wards, and described AKISIEC’s action as ‘illegal’ after it had earlier released its notice of election.
He explained that the law only empowers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delineate state and federal constituencies, senatorial districts, organise and supervise voters’ registration, be in custody of the voters’ register and delineate registration areas (wards) under the 1999 Constitution as amended and the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.
“Now that AKISIEC says it wants to conduct local government elections, it has to go to INEC to get the voters’ register. But how will it adjust the register with the 39 new wards it has purportedly created which is not known to law or INEC?
“AKISIEC cannot create voting units or even register voters; the situation is confusing and chaotic. AKISIEC is biased, lacks credibility and is dominated by card carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Such a body cannot be trusted to be fair and do what is right and honourable,” he said.
