APC Accuses INEC Rec, Igini of Collusion With PDP To Flout Court Orders

The legal team of the All progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mr Mike Igini of colluding with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to deny the party access to electoral materials as ordered by the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.

Chairman of The Election Petition Tribunal, Justice W.O. Akanbi had on April 2 granted the Petitioner and Applicant, Senator Godswill Akpabio and his agents and forensic experts to inspect and copy all electoral materials used for the conduct of the election into Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.

However, we learnt that on the instruction of Igini, Akwa Ibom INEC has consistently flouted the order and has refused the agents of Senator Akpabio and forensic experts access to the election material. INEC has been engaging in a hide-and-seek game.

 A letter from Barrister Patrick Umoh, a lawyer in the legal team of Senator Akpabio to Mr Igini reveals the frustration the team has faced in making INEC to obey the court order and allow them access to inspect the election materials.

“We also wish to inform you that we had earlier reported for the said inspection on Thursday, the 11thday of April, 2019, Friday, 12thApril, 2019 and Monday, 15thApril, 2019, but our efforts to have access to the materials and inspect same did not yield any positive result,” Barrister Umoh said.

It was gathered that the hide-and-seek by Igini may have been to tip off the PDP and give them sufficient time to oppose the move for the inspection of the election materials by forensic experts hired by Senator Akpabio.

In a curious twist however, INEC is said to have colluded with PDP and advised the party to file a motion on April 16thwhich they cited as the reason they couldn’t allow the inspection of the materials as ordered by the court. Analysts believe the hide-and-seek by INEC was to give the PDP enough time to file the motion.

A legal analyst, Comrade Frederick Bassey has argued that it was wrong for INEC to have waited for the PDP to file a motion on April 16 and cite this as the reason it could not obey a lawful order of court given since April 2. In any case, he said a mere filing of motion on notice was not sufficient to displace a subsisting court order which had been served on INEC. 

Comrade Bassey accused INEC REC of partisanship and collusion with the PDP. “Before the election when the APC accused Igini of partisanship and bias, I thought it was a case of wolf crying. But by his recent actions to the extent of disobeying court orders confirms the allegation that he may have been compromised,” he said.

Efforts to reach Mr Igini for his reaction proved abortive. At the Commission's office in Uyo, he was said to have travelled to Abuja when our reporter visited. He did not also respond to calls to his number. 

Why We Demolished AIT's Fence-Abuja Metropolitan Management Council

The Department of Development Control of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, has said that it demolished part of AIT's fence due to encroachment of the communication company on other people's lands.

According to  the development management council, "following illegal encroachment into plots of lands belonging to many Nigerians and the refusal by the Management of DAAR Communications to abide by the mutual agreement reached between it and the FCT Administration, officials from the Department of Development Control of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council led by the Director, today removed a portion of the fence around the premises of the Africa Independent Television (AIT) in the Asokoro District of Abuja.

It is important to let the public know that this removal was not intended to inflict any pain on the owners of the property but rather to enable other citizens have access to their legitimate properties.  It is also a culmination of series of meetings between the Management of DAAR Communications owners of AIT and the Federal Capital Territory administration to end many years of misunderstanding.

Specifically, in November last year, the Management of DAAR Communications led by High Chief Raymond Dokpesi paid a courtesy visit to the FCT Minister and they were received on his behalf by Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Bashir Mai-Borno who led the FCTA team made up of relevant directors and others in the discussions.

The purpose of the discussions was to resolve the protracted dispute regarding the actual size of land legally allocated to DAAR Communications as against the area covered by their perimeter fence. The whole idea was for both parties to mutually agree to reach a settlement that would bring about permanent solution and forge ahead for the development of the FCT and the nation at large.

After very fruitful deliberations on the areas of contention, each side expressed satisfaction over the new reconciliatory approach and the sincerity in reaching a logical and peaceful conclusion.

Thereafter, both parties agreed to visit the site for an on-the-spot investigation of the area were surveyors from both parties were able to identify the problematic areas on a satellite image map, leading to a common agreement on the necessity to remove the portions of the fence that has encroached into adjoining plots of land belonging to other Nigerians.

Indeed, at that meeting, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, expressed confidence in the ability of the current FCT Administration to end the matter satisfactorily and pledged to abide by its

outcome.

Unfortunately, while everybody is happy and pleased that the issues have been resolved and in line with the commitment of both parties, DAAR Communications has been evasive in doing its part by voluntarily removing the illegal fence and other structures causing obstruction to their neighbours.

The FCT Administration was therefore left with no other option than to do the needful by removing the illegal structures. With this removal, other allottees are now free to access their plots of land.

Thank you for listening.''

Umar Shuaibu

Coordinator

Abuja Metropolitan Management Council