By Our Correspondent
By-elections held on Saturday left six people dead in the Ikono/Ini and Abak federal constituencies of Akwa ibom state.
A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who was working as a temporary worker, was also reportedly shot and seriously injured.
The Ikono/Ini re-election was between incumbent MP Emmanuel Ukpong Udo of the Young Peoples Party (YPP) and a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Glory Edet.’
When this report was filed, Ukpong Udo was leading Glory Edet by 4,161 votes
In the Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika federal constituency, All Progressives Congress (APC) Clement Jimbo led incumbent MP his Aniekan Umanah by 2,962 votes. The situation is said to have sparked violence by supporters. Supporters reportedly stole election documents and shot indiscriminately at some of his INEC officials and opposition supporters who resisted.
Of the 17 units in Ikono/Ini, at least 7 units’ materials were taken away by armed guards said to be loyal to a political party, with one member and others who put up resistance. It was noted that there was confusion. .
A former local government leader allegedly shot and killed an INEC officer at Itak Unit 2 because he refused to hand over ballots to PDP thugs after the vote.
Goddy Umoh, former member and current chairman of the Council Services Committee (HASC), told journalists after the vote in Nnung Udoe Itak, Ward 11 that the election was peaceful.
However, violence erupted around the Registration Area Center and other voting units shortly after the vote, with armed crooks confiscating ballots with the help of security guards and sporadically displacing dozens of voters and officials. shot or injured.
“The elections started peacefully in the early hours before materials started arriving from 10:
00 am from the Registration Area Center to the 17 units, but a few minutes after voting, hijacking of polling materials started with heavy shooting.
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“The Corps member, who was shot in the leg at Ikot Efre, Itak unit 2, and another at unit 9, along with others have been rushed to the hospital, but we are yet to know how they are faring,” one electoral official attached to the Afaha Obio Enwang primary school, recalled the incident to Journalists.
Fuming over what he described as open cases of intimidation and deliberately orchestrated violence to disrupt the peaceful exercise, Udo, who called for the cancellation of the polls in the affected units, urged his supporters, who thronged his Hotel, Macaire Resort at Ikot Ekpene, to remain calm, while waiting for the final announcement by INEC.
Skirmishes with casualties were also reported in Etim Ekpo LGA Ward 7 at Ibio Nnung Achat community and Etok Uruk Eshiet Ward 3, where thugs disrupted the contest with violence and hijacking of ballot materials after the polls.
From the camp of the YPP House of Representatives member seeking a return under the YPP platform, it was learnt from his close Aide that “tension has been defused and calm returned following the declaration by the INEC National Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, that any disputed results should be discountenanced and the outcome declared a nullity.”
On the shooting of the Corps member and others across the seven units of Ikono Ward 11, Mr. Osaro Aisien, INEC official in – charge of Publicity and Voter Education, as well as the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said full details of the cases were still being expected.
