Table of Contents
- Cheating Claim by the Senate President
- Court Annulment of Election
- Wrong Prosecution of Returning Officer
- Call for Accountability from INEC
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, stated on Thursday that he was wronged during the 2019 election.
He expressed these views on the Senate floor during the confirmation hearing of Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to Akpabio: “I was wronged in the 2019 elections, and we pursued legal action. The court annulled the election and ordered the prosecution of the electoral officer. However, instead of prosecuting the INEC commissioner, they prosecuted the returning officer, a professor from the University of Calabar who has dedicated 34 years to public service.
“He was sentenced to three years in prison, while the same INEC Electoral Commissioner, along with some accomplices, altered the narrative to suggest that the individual was attempting to assist Akpabio.
“If he was truly trying to help me, why were my votes in my local government area destroyed? Why was I not declared the winner? I remained silent.
“If we are modifying the Electoral Act, the true offenders must be held accountable because, at the level of the returning officer, he can only announce what is compiled from the collation centers.
“However, a situation where the Resident Electoral Commissioner dispatches security personnel to seize the announcement and take it to his office is a violation of the Electoral Act. The court ruled that the individual who committed this offense should face prosecution, yet they prosecuted the wrong person. Therefore, we must also scrutinize what INEC is doing.
“INEC needs to be held accountable for certain violations of the Electoral Act.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Godswill Akpabio claim about the 2019 election?
Godswill Akpabio claimed that he was cheated in the 2019 election, stating that the court annulled the election but that the wrong individuals were prosecuted.
Who was prosecuted instead of the INEC commissioner?
The returning officer, a professor from the University of Calabar, was prosecuted instead of the INEC commissioner.
What does Akpabio suggest regarding the Electoral Act?
Akpabio suggests that if the Electoral Act is to be amended, the real offenders must be held accountable, emphasizing the need for INEC to be responsible for certain infractions.
