LG Elections: Diversion, Hoarding of Sensitive Materials Mar Council Polls In Cross River As Some Voters Wait In Vain ...We Did Our Best, CROSIEC Chairman, Boco

Judex OKORO, Ogarekpe OGAREKPE, (UGEP) Hannah OBETEN, (BAKASSI) Missang AKPET (IKOM), Ebi COLLINS (ETUNG), Agaban AGBA (OBUDU) ATIM MGBE (OGOJA)

THE ongoing local government elections in Cross River is being marred by diversion and subsequent hoarding of election materials across the 3281 poling units of the state. 

THE BEAGLE NEWS team monitoring the election across  the three senatorial districts observed that in some local government areas notable  Bakassi, Biase, Yakurr,Abi, Obubra, Ogoja, Bekwarra and Obudu local government areas, materials were allegedly  cornered  to unknown location by Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPOs).

The team also reports that in some polling units   where voting went on, the polling officers disclosed that the ballot papers were not serially issued, while stamps and  results sheets were conspicuously missing.

The team further discovered  that some of these sensitive materials were allegedly diverted to unknown locations by some top All Progressives Congress (APC) top shots and some appointees of the government.

Following this development, some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains have raised the alarm over the conduct of council polls in the state, describing the exercise as a "sham".

BAKASSI LGA 

Voting commenced at about 11:00am  after due accreditation of voters.

The Vice Chairmanship candidate for Bakassi LGA, Mrs. Christiana Archibong,  cast her vote at Ekpri Ikang Primary School,BAakassi.

However, about 12:00 noon, a gang of young boys numbering  about eight stormed some polling units and carted away election materials meant  for 11 polling units in Bakassi LGA including the SPO. As at the time of filling this report, the whereabouts of the SPO was still unknown.

YAKURR LGA 

Reacting on the election, the PDP chairmanship candidate for Yakurr local government area, Jennifer Usani, said: 

"There is nobody at some polling officials and security agencies in the polling units across the local government as we speak and obviously, there cannot be voters in the absence of officials and security.

"Indeed, we were ready for the election but it seems they were never ready for us."

Also speaking, a former House of Rep member representing Yakurr/Abi Federal constituency, and one time former Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Bassey Ewa, says "I am at my Atakpa polling unit in Ekori ward and there is nothing on ground here for the election."

But Senator Williams Enteng Jonah, Senator representing Cross River Central at the Senate  said election took place peacefully at his polling unit in Mkpani where he cast his vote.

" I can't speak for other polling units but In my polling unit in Mkpani ward, election went on peacefully. And there was a large turn out of voters due to the massive mobilization I did towards the election. Materials arrived on time and  voters exercised their franchise," he stated.

ETUNG LGA

Our correspondent reports that there was massive turn out of voters across various polling units, especially Massive turnout characterizes election in Bendeghe-Ekiem Ward.

Speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Climate Change, Dr Ramsey Ebam Ndep, said he has cast his vote and it is relatively peaceful. 

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Asset Management and Recovery, Bar. Gilbert Ntui, said: "We can tell you that the election is largely very peaceful and the turn out is very impressive. We are optimistic that APC will care the day because we are the people's choice."

In his words, the Cross River Health Commissioner, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk, said: I am.impressed with the outcome. It is one of the most peaceful election ever conducted in the stats. 
I have voted in my polling unit, Bendeghe-Ekiem ward. We commend CROSIEC for their efforts. We shall continue to improve on our electoral processes."

NORTHERN SENATORIAL DISTRICT 

Reports across the five local government areas of Northern Senatorial district showed that elections did not take place in most  polling units  in Ogoja, Brekwarra, Obudu, Yala and Obanliku due to alleged hoarding of materials.

OGOJA LGA 

The Peoples Democratic  Party (PDP)  decried the absence of results sheets across the 54 wards that make up the five local government areas of Cross River North for the ongoing council elections in the state.

Chief Austin Edibe, the PDP Vice chairman for the northern senatorial district, stated this on Saturday while fielding questions from newsmen in Ogoja.

He described the ongoing council poll as a sham skewed to favour the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates. 

"This whole exercise was programmed in favour of the APC from the word go, but we were willing take the risk with the hope that their conscience will appeal to them.

"As I speak with you, there is no result sheets provided for the whole Ogoja, Yala, Obanliku, Obudu and Bekwarra council areas. That is the report am getting from the field.

"Ordinarily,  we are supposed to have result sheets at all the collation centers and at the ward level chapters, but unfortunately that is the position of things as we speak.

Our supporters were prepared to come out en mass for the elections today but they don't see the reason for it again since their votes won't count," he stated.

There is also absence of security personnel in most of the polling units for the poll scheduled to start at 8:00am.

OBUDU LGA 

In Obudu, our correspondent reports that there waspractically no voting as some APC top shots allegedly hijacked the materials to Bedia community where the APC candidate comes from denying other polling units access to exercise their franchise

Out of the 10 wards in the local government,  it was observed that voting is only taking place in one ward where the APC candidate hails from in Obudu.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged hijacking of electoral materials meant for the conduct of the local government elections in Cross River by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP Obudu candidate,  Emmanuel  Asinde, decried the absence of voting materials in their respective polling units, 
noting that not only was there absence of materials, there were no semblance of any elections taking place in the areas today (Saturday).
"There is no election in the 10 wards, except that of the APC candidate in Obudu."

CROSIEC REACTS 

Meanwhile, the Cross River Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC) has debunked  allegations of materials hijack, stressing that voting was in progress across the state.

The Commission’s chairman, Dr Ekong Boco, said  CROSIEC had done all it could to ensure a smooth and transparent process.

"All the voting materials left the Commission’s office yesterday and we had everything programmed to commence early today but the parties agents delayed the process because of mutual suspicions," he stated.