The Cross River chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally condemned the local government elections held in the state on Saturday, asserting that the process did not meet the fundamental criteria to be classified as a legitimate election.
In light of this, the party has announced its intention to contest the results in a court of law. This position was articulated in a statement released by the PDP Chairman in the state, Venatius Ikem, during a press briefing in Calabar on Monday.
Mr. Ikem characterized the events as part of a meticulously planned scheme to manipulate the election, citing issues such as the misappropriation of electoral materials, delayed delivery of inadequate ballot papers lacking proper serial numbers, and the absence of official result sheets.
He highlighted that, in numerous polling units, the necessary stamps from the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) were not provided to the Presiding Officers, preventing them from authenticating the ballot papers as mandated by law.
He stated, “From the outset, the electoral processes were biased in favor of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly evident in the composition of the electoral body.”
The Chairman expressed disappointment over underestimating the “charade” orchestrated by the electoral body for the local government elections held on November 2. He claimed that in areas such as Calabar South, Obudu, Abi, and Obubra, electoral materials intended for the entire local government were redirected to the residences of APC officials, where illegal thumb-printing occurred.
For example, he reported that in Obudu, no election materials were distributed to any party except the APC, which seized and transported them to the Military School in Bedia. Here, soldiers allegedly restricted access to only APC members, reportedly on the orders of a serving army general who is related to the APC candidate.
Furthermore, in Obanlikwu and Bekwarra local government areas, ballot papers were distributed without accompanying result sheets, with results instead recorded on plain paper, he noted.
The PDP Chairman attributed these irregularities to the APC’s poor performance at both the federal and state levels, suggesting that such failures created a climate of fear within the ruling party, prompting them to avoid a fair electoral contest to evade public disapproval.
“We categorically reject any results arising from this so-called election, as we firmly believe there was no legitimate local government election in Cross River,” he asserted.
He emphasized, “Never in the political history of Cross River have voters experienced such blatant electoral fraud as witnessed on Saturday. We urge our members to maintain calmness and peace as we pursue this matter through the appropriate legal channels.”
It is noteworthy that the state electoral commission has distanced itself from the proceedings, with Chairman Dr. Ekong Boco attributing the shortcomings to the political parties involved and asserting that the commission endeavored to facilitate a successful electoral process.
Reports indicate that the commission has declared the APC the victor of all 18 chairmanship positions and the 196 councillorship seats across the 18 council areas.
