Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) has denied a viral video on social media indicating that the People?s Democratic Party (PDP) had won the October 05 Local Government Election in Essien Udim LGA, where the Senate President holds sway.

The Chairman of the commission, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak denied the report in an interactive session with a section of the media on Monday.

It was reported that a viral video had trend on the social media, of one Professor Atting, who claimed to have been the Returning Officer (RO) in Essien Udim LGA and presented a result which read that the PDP candidate, Engr. Enobong Patrick Friday won the election with 55,612 as against the APC candidate, Mr. Ntiedo Usoro Effiong, who allegedly scored 686 votes.

Debunking the report, Ikoiwak explained that he had received a report from the Assistant Electoral Officer (AEO) that the Electoral Officer sent to the area had absconded with ballot materials sent to the council area and had to hurriedly send the AEO back with necessary materials to conduct the election and bring the result.

Contrary to the name on the video given as Professor Atting, Ikoiwak said the Returning Officer (RO) for Essien Udim in the election was Prof. Uduak Okon of the Department of Medical Sciences, University of Uyo, even as the scores were: 51, 751 for the APC candidate, which the PDP candidate scored 22, 799 votes. Consequently, the APC candidate was declared winner.

?The man who claimed to be the returning officer in Essien Udim was not on the list of appointed Returning Officers for the Saturday?s exercise, the winning margin by the PDP candidate on the video was too overwhelming to have denied the winner and his supporters did not revolt.

?It was when they discovered that the what the Polling Officer did in Essien Udim was discovered by AKISIEC, that they horridly went to somewhere in Ewet Housing, to do the video, using drivers and unidentified persons as their crowd to present what they presented to mislead the public.

?By the time they brought their result, they were told that Essien Udim?s result was already filed and I had insisted that results must be recorded on form 08D and that is what was accepted from all the LGAs,? he explained.

The commissioner stressed that he did everything within reach to ensure free, fair and credible exercise, saying that any area that has issues was not the fault of AKISIEC.

?All monies needed were released since on Thursday but we discovered it was held on by Zenith Bank because of poor network hence the late arrival of materials in some areas.

?To ease the process of elections, voter registers were printed and posted in all the polling units in the state. As at 10pm on Saturday, we had received 10 results, nine were won by PDP while one was in favour of APC. When we sent it for broadcast on Inspection FM, they told us that the station had closed for the day and would resume at 7:00am on Sunday. That is why the video went viral before our report?. He maintained.

The commissioner however appreciated the state governor, Pastor Umo Eno for his good leadership that led to such credible exercise.

?Free and fair election is and election where the people are allowed to decide who wins and that is what played out on Saturday and that is because the governor, who is the leader of the state, gave AKISIEC the free hands to operate,? he stressed. (Nigerian Tribune)

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