June 29, (THEWILL) – Youths of Akwa Ibom State, majorly of the All Progressives Congress (APC) extraction, have accused the Residential Electoral Commissioner of the state, Mr Mike Igini, of allegedly deviating from an unbiased umpire, to partisan politics, saying that the effect is in the controversy rocking particularly the APC in the state.
Over 1,000 Youths under the aegis of Coalition of political parties in Akwa Ibom on Wednesday, barricaded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in the state, demanding the immediate removal of the REC, Mr Mike Igini.
THEWILL reports that the protesters who chanted “Mike Igini must go” and carrying placards of various inscriptions, had blocked the INEC office entrance, disallowing staff of the Commission from entering their offices.
Some inscriptions on the placards read: “Igini is biassed”, “democracy is not for sale”, “INEC must act now”, “Akwa Ibom REC is compromised.”
Others are; “Igini don’t kill Akwa Ibom political parties”, “Igini is partisan”, “Igini is a factional Chairman of a party”, among several others.
Speaking to THEWILL in Uyo, the leader of the Coalition of Akwa Ibom State Youths in Opposition Parties, Mr Ubok-Obong Umoh, said the “personal vendetta” of Igini against the main opposition party in the state should be probed.
“This protest is carried out by all the youths in opposition political parties in Akwa Ibom State and APC is prominent here because it is the main opposition party in the state.
“We are protesting clear partisanship demonstrated by a supposed umpire, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr. Mike Igini.
“Between 2019 and now, Igini has demonstrated that he has no faith in Nigerian democracy and as a result, he is now playing the script of the Akwa Ibom State Government”, his words.
Umoh accused Igini of acting on the instructions of the state government, adding that nothing APC or any other opposition party will do, is acceptable to him.
He said the REC should be probed over the comments he made during an interview on one of the national television stations that “APC in the state will not have any candidate for 2023 elections.”
“His statement is unacceptable not just to members of APC, but to the generality of the peace-loving people of Akwa Ibom State.
“Opposition is meant for checks and balances in government, so if Barr. Mike Igini, who is supposed to be an umpire, feels that there should be no opposition in Akwa Ibom State, he should pack his belongings and leave”, he explained.
Also, the State APC Youth Leader, Dr Awak Clement, said Igini “is not the only REC that Nigeria has, but queried why he should single himself out to fight APC in the state.
He alleged that Igini had openly declared war against APC even before the primaries, adding that for peace to reign in the state, the REC should either resign or outrightly be sacked.
He further queried why Igini should presume himself as the Supreme Court, to reject the judgement delivered by the Federal High Court
Clement appealed to the INEC headquarters to take immediate action on the matter so that the peaceful protest does not turn into a disastrous one.
In a swift reaction, the state Residential Electrical Commissioner, Mr Mike Igini linked the crisis leading to the protest to the APC.
According to him, APC in the state forged the letters that led to the swearing in of Stephen Ntukekpo, as the Chairman of the party against the directive of the High court.
He insisted that INEC recognises Austin Ekanem, as the authentic state Chairman of the APC in the state and not Steven Ntukekpo.
