The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the PDP in engaging in what is undoubtedly an orchestrated campaign of misinformation on the proceedings at the Akwa Ibom Governorship Election Petition, as well as embarked on a calculated move to denigrate the security agencies, especially the Department of Security Services (DSS).

In a press release signed by the National Publicity Secretary; Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC said that it was not by accident that the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, has led a cacophony of other PDP voices that have been shouting themselves hoarse in an effort to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians and distort the real situation with regard to the Governorship Election Petition by the APC Governorship Candidate in the last election, Mr. Umana Umana.

The ruling party further accused the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh; Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State PDP, Mr Paul Ekpo and the Akwa Ibom State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Uwemedimo Nwoko of being accomplices in the grand plot to mislead Nigerians on the true state of developments regarding the Governorship Election Petition  in Akwa Ibom State.

While speaking on the true station, the  APC revealed that the DSS recently invited the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Austin Okojie, and some other officials working under him to help in their investigation into the discovery that the Commission had destroyed and attempted to destroy evidence in election petitions before the state election petition tribunals by shredding ballot papers, immersing them in water, mixing them all up and stuffing them in jute bags which are then left out in the open at the mercy of the elements, contrary to the clear instruction of INEC manual for election officers 2015

“This evidence was available to DSS, which then launched investigation to determine those responsible for the criminal acts. The state of electoral materials discovered in the course of the forensic examination ordered by the tribunal was so bad that we now know why INEC, in concert with the PDP, did everything to stop the forensic examination of the ballot papers.

 They were petrified by their knowledge of what the forensic examination would reveal. INEC disobeyed three valid orders of the tribunal authorizing the Petitioner to conduct the forensic examination. After discovering that we had taken photographs of ballot papers from Itu, Ibesikpo, Ika and Uruan that showed the twisted and mangled state of the election material, they stopped us from scanning the remaining local government areas”.

On the few days that INEC allowed the forensic examination, their staff turned up several hours late. In fact, we lost the first seven days of the 14-day period because INEC said the officer with the key to the store where the ballot papers were kept in Abuja was still in Uyo.

INEC officials who have been the masterminds of the criminal sabotage and disobedience of the valid orders of the tribunal, and were asked to account for what happened to the ballot papers, include Emmanuel Agu, Electoral Officer (EO) in charge of Essien Udim; Obinna, EO in charge of Uyo; Uche Okorie, head of legal, Uyo; and their overall boss, Austin Okojie, the Akwa Ibom State REC”. He concluded.

The APC therefore implored the opposition party to stop peddling lies about the work of the Akwa Ibom Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the role of the security agencies but rather, deploy their energy to make their case at the Tribunal instead of whipping up emotions and sentiments that have nothing to do with reality