“Rigging of Rivers governorship election designed in Akwa Ibom” – Umana

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the April 11 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State, Umana Okon Umana has said “the template for the rigging of Rivers State governorship election was designed in Akwa Ibom State, and put to use for electoral fraud in both states”.

Mr. Umana said with the sacking of Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike by the election tribunal, there was hope that APC in Akwa Ibom State would soon get justice as far as the April 11 governorship election was concerned in the state.

Mr. Umana made the comment while he was addressing Akwa Ibom people who came out in large number on Saturday for a reception organised in his honour by the APC in the state.

He did not however expatiate on his comment about the rigging of Rivers State governorship election.

But the APC publicity Secretary in Akwa Ibom State, Ita Awak later explained to PREMIUM TIMES what Mr. Umana meant.

Mr. Awak said Mr. Wike, after being sworn-in as governor of Rivers State on May 29, 2015, visited Akwa Ibom State in June to publicly announce that he owed his victory at the polls to the then Akwa Ibom governor, Godswill Akpabio and God.

Mr. Awak said, “If anything, this tells us that Akpabio bankrolled Wike’s election.

“We see that the same manner that Akpabio’s PDP in Akwa Ibom State used armed thugs dressed in various security outfits to snatch ballot materials, to intimidate voters, maim and kill those who resisted them.

”In the exact manner that high ranking officials of INEC in Akwa Ibom State were seduced and induced to be biased against the APC in Akwa Ibom State is what took place in Rivers State.”