Ghosts voted in Akwa Ibom –LP guber candidate

The governorship candidate for Labour Party in Akwa Ibom State, Senator Helen Esuene, has alleged that the voting population in the state had been inflated with ghost names, while some Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) belonged to unknown persons.

Senator Esuene also alleged that the PVCs belonging to ghost voters were used to inflate the actual voting, “where the officials want to exhibit some level of caution, adding that “in other areas, thump-printing was done irrespective of the card readers.”

In  a press statement she issued yesterday, Esuene,  who came fourth with only 8,600 votes, said the long planned and awaited general elections had thrown up disappointing experiences.


Her words: “The exercise of April 11, was more of a show of financial strength than capturing the wishes of the Akwa Ibom people. Voters were enticed with cash and goods everywhere, they were cajoled into voting accordingly before they were given what was promised them. This is a clear departure from what the law says.

“Secondly, the state was infused by action-thirsty mercenaries from everywhere to, if need be, kill and go. Election materials were diverted on the way to the units, while some were forcefully taken away from units with the assistance of mercenaries to unknown destinations.

“Thirdly, after normal voting by accredited voters, the remaining ballot papers were thump -printed with the full knowledge of INEC officials and security personnel. Any agent, who tried to resist this was forced out.

“Fourthly, the materials and personnel which were diverted on the way to polling units ended up in the homes of some VIPs, where the voting exercise was illegally conducted. Such were heavily guarded by the police.”

She urged that, “in order to serve as a deterrent for future elections, the result of all inflated units should be discarded and only the genuine result of the very few units be used to compute for the declaration of the winner.”


Credit:  Sunnewsonline