The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Mike Igini, on Friday came under fire from a former spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, over alleged bias and for purportedly bringing a bad name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Eyiboh, who unburdened his heart during a media chat in Lagos, specifically accused Igini of discriminating against the Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by refusing to recognise and deal with the validly elected leadership recognised by the courts.

Eyiboh, who said he was speaking out “as a witness to the truth”, also berated Igini for refusing to either monitor the party primary that produced former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, as APC 2023 senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North West or to recognise him as the validly elected candidate.

“Igini has refused to recognise the state party executive recognised by court since March. He has also refused to recognise and accept Akpabio as validly elected APC senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North West,” Eyiboh, the APC 2023 House of Representatives Candidate for Eket/Onna/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency, lamented.

On Akpabio, Hon. Eyiboh said that after the initial holder of the ticket, Obong Ekperikpe Ekpo, willingly stepped down and withdrew from contesting the 2023 election, “The party wrote INEC that it was going to have a reconduct – not a rerun – of the primary. Senator Akpabio picked the form within the time frame allowed for party primaries. The previous winner withdrew in writing and physically. Akpabio picked the form, filled it and submitted it. He participated in the primary, but Igini vowed never supervise the primary and refused to supervise it.”

Eyiboh, who stressed that he was “not speaking for the party or for anybody but speaking as a candidate and a witness to the truth”, accused Igini of acting “not only ultra vires but also against his oath of office but also as a public official”.

He noted that Akwa Ibom APC has formally petitioned INEC about Igini’s excesses and appealed to the electoral umpire to call the Akwa Ibom REC to order so as to prevent him from further tarnishing the image of the commission.

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