Twenty-one governorship aspirants of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State have alleged that the accreditation of delegates for the primary was done in the state house in the private resident of the governor, Godswill Akpabio.
The aspirants, who had earlier walked out of Ibom International Stadium, the venue of the governorship primary election in protest of alleged skewed delegates list, said they would not accept whatever result that emanated from the primary.
Meanwhile the former Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, Udom Emmanuel Emmanuel has won the primary in landslide.
The 21 aspirants, led by a former ambassador to Russia and Belarus, Assam Assam, said: “All the people who are in this hall were brought from that venue in Akwa Ibom Transport Corporation buses. Chapter chairmen of the party were not permitted to identify their people. People who were not from their specific local government areas were brought in here to come and vote.
“In fact there were no congresses; the lists that were used to ask the people to come and vote were contrived lists.
“We have addressed this area to the panel and gave them the opportunity to address this issue before the commencement of voting. They ask us to wait for the outcome of the appeal panel when they come.
“We do not want to create violence in this place and that is why we have decided to walk out this venue to seek redress.”
They, however, request for a free and fair primary in the state.
Meanwhile, Udom has said the candidates that walked out were only responding to the reality of the situation.
He stated that out of 24 of them, the governorship position could only be won by one person and not by the 24.
He, however, said that the people of the state had demonstrated true democracy.
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