February 23 elections in Akwa Ibom: A reporter’s diary

Penultimate weekend’s presidential and National Assembly elections have come and gone, but the echoes generated by the contest will continue to reverberate for some time. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI, who monitored the polls in Akwa Ibom State, recounts his experience.

THERE were a lot of brisk vehicular movements in the wee hours of the February 23, 2019, when the rescheduled presidential and National Assembly elections held nationwide, as motorists tried to beat the restriction order on movement imposed by security forces. In Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, dozens of cars were detained in checkpoints in different parts of the city, as dawn broke. At one of such roadblocks along Oron Road, near Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, security officials were threatening to shoot motorists making efforts to explain their reason for defying the restriction order. Some drivers were even asked to lie flat on the road. One army officer said the vehicles would remain impounded till the end of the day, when the election would have been over.

The February 23 elections were the first major test for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu. After the February 16 postponement, Nigerians were justifiably skeptical about the sincerity of INEC to deliver credible polls. Coming against the background of the 2015 general elections where former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, put up what was widely regarded as a commendable performance and the questions that trailed the outing of the electoral umpire in recent off-cycle governorship polls, Prof Yakubu must have been under pressure to satisfy the yearnings of Nigerians.

The election in Akwa Ibom took place under a tense atmosphere. But, residents were enthusiastic to exercise their franchise. As early as 7.00am, voters have started converging at polling units in the capital and elsewhere to cast their votes. In some units, they had to wait patiently for INEC officials to show up. Prior to the election, there were fears that violence may erupt in parts of the state.

This is because two persons were killed and 13 of the buses hired by INEC to distribute election materials were burnt in Akwa Ibom Northwest zone on the eve of the February 16 when the elections were initially scheduled to hold. The two major parties, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) had been trading accusations.

There were allegations that thugs and militants had been brought in from neighbouring states to influence the outcome of the election. Indeed, some arrests were made. So, there were fears that this would encourage voter apathy during the election. But, at the end of the day, it did not quite turn out that way; as electorates trooped out in their numbers to exercise their franchise and there was no violence.

From observations in the areas visited by our reporter, INEC still has a lot of work to do, to make elections free, fair and more transparent. The exercise was marred by logistic challenges, incidents of voter intimidation and violence. For instance, voting was delayed in some parts of Uyo metropolis, because of non-release of election materials to the polling units. After visiting one of such units and discovering a large number of prospective voters waiting patiently, but no INEC ad-hoc staff on ground, the reporter headed for the Ward 6 collation centre, where the materials were supposed to be dispatched to the units.

At the collation centre, it was discovered that all the materials were on ground, according party agents, they were still being sorted out. Buses hired by INEC to ferry the materials to various points were still parked within the school premises. Dozens of corps members were idling around, waiting for election materials.

A party agent who spoke to our reporter said ad-hoc staff passed the night at the centre, with the hope of carrying their materials to their duty posts at dawn. But, they were still there as at 9.25am, waiting to receive the materials. The agent said a power generating set was provided to illuminate the centre and facilitate the sorting out of the materials. Nobody could say precisely why the distribution of the materials was delayed.

Though the election was adjudged to be generally free, fair and devoid of violence, there were signs that it was marred in some instances by incidents of voter intimidation, violence and similar ugly developments. For instance, while the election was ongoing, there were unconfirmed reports that some ad-hoc staff had been kidnapped in some localities and that a lecturer from the University of Uyo, Mr Kufre Etuk, who worked for INEC was beaten up by hoodlums. But The Nation could not independently verify the claims.

Besides, it appears as if the two major parties usually concede polling units of prominent politicians where the chance of winning is slim to their opponent. For instance, there were no APC agents when this reporter visited the polling unit where Senator Obong Bassey Albert (OBA) voted in Ididep Usuk, Ibiono Ibom Local Government at about 1pm. Similarly, there were no PDP agents when the reporter reached the polling unit of the Senior Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, 10 minutes later.

Thus, at some polling units, one can sense where the pendulum would swing by the political platform of the party agents that dominate the unit. In such units, it is not uncommon to see party agents of opponents looking the other way, by allowing the dominant party to have a field day.

As at the time the reporter called at Ita Enang’s Polling Unit 2, Ward 2 in Ididep, Ibiono Ibom, words had started making the rounds among journalists covering the election that there had been confrontations between supporters of the two major parties. Ididep also happens to be the community where the Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Dr. Iniobong Essien, an accomplished medical practitioner, comes from.

On getting to Ididep, there were telltale signs that confirmed that indeed the community had witnessed a confrontation. The road leading to the town was barricaded. When the reporter got to Enang’s polling unit, at about 1.10pm, there was no single voter in sight; even though it was still within the period designated for accreditation and voting.

The head of the unit, Mr. Joseph Joshua, said voting started at about 9.30am and that 95 out of the 456 registered voters at the unit had done their accreditation and voted. There was no PDP agent around.

Later, at his country home, Enang confirmed that there was a fight between PDP supporters and that of the APC. He said he was attacked and that his car was vandalised, when a group of alleged PDP thugs swooped on the neighbourhood.

His words: “We were suddenly attached by PDP thugs and agents, scaring away APC agents, because there were no security personnel around at the time. It was later that security personnel were sent.

“There have been so much violence; I’m sure you could see the extent of my brutalisation. Right now, if you go round, you will see people moving about shooting guns. In some of these places, you have electoral materials, but no result sheets. But, we are trying to address the situation.

“You have a situation where people are scared. You will see some other person’s holding Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) they bought from theirs owners, which they are now trying to use, after scaring away the real voters.”

Reporters that monitored the proceedings at Senator Godswill Akpabio’s polling, which is located within the Independent High School, Ukana Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim Local Government, had to wait endlessly for the result of the unit. As at the time this reporter left there at about 6.30pm, the result of the unit was yet to be declared by the ad-hoc officials there.   Over the years, younger persons have been keeping away from the polling units; they either remain indoors or stayed within their localities. The last election was not an exception. The turnout was dominated by elderly people and their middle-aged counterparts. Many young persons who are eligible to vote chose to play football on the streets as other Nigerians were at the polling centres to elect their next president and federal lawmakers.

Some of the young men who spoke to our reporter do not see the need to sacrifice that day to exercise franchise, because they believe that political leaders have always disappointed them over the years. The inner roads in many neighbourhoods were converted to football pitches and boys in the areas had fun, playing the round leather game, while the election was on. One of such young men, Mr. Nathaniel Bassey, said: “What do you expect us to do bros? Irrespective of party affiliation, our leaders do not have the interest of the youth at heart, so there is no point wasting time trying to vote for people who are going there for their personal aggrandizement. Football is what would make a difference for many of us.”