LG elections: APC sure of victory in 31 council areas

The All Progressives Party (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has said it is determined to win the local government elections slated for October 5, 2024.

Chairman of APC Local Government Elections Planning Committee, Senator Ita Enang, said, however, that the party does not trust the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) Chairman, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak to deliver on a free and fair elections due to his antecedent.

Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday in Uyo to announce that the party would flag off of campaigns for the LG elections on Wednesday, September 18, at the Ikot Ekpene Township stadium, Enang said the party is confident that it would win the elections in all the 31 local government areas of the state.

“Tomorrow, the 18th of September, we will formally flag off the local government election campaign of the All Progressives Congress at the Township Stadium in Ikot Ekpene and we will be presenting the flag to all our candidates at the state level, at the local government council level, who will then after present the same thing at the different local government headquarters.

“We are confident that having taken the bold step as APC, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ensuring autonomy of states of local governments, from the state governments, and ensuring that the government of Nigeria is run at three tiers, as ordinary as ought to be, federal government, state government, and local government, and having rescued the states, the local government, from the claws and the kidnap of the states, that we are confident that we are going to contest and we’ll win the elections in all the 31 LGA in Akwa Ibom State.

“Akwa Ibom State is APC state. Only, unfortunately, controlled by the PDP state government. We respect that they are in charge of government, but we are more than them. And so, we want to display our majority, our strength and our capacity in the oncoming local government elections,” he stated.

Enang who said the party has stepped up its game to ensure it wins at the polls in line with Governor Umo Eno’s promise for free and fair elections, explained that the party was not satisfied with the current performance of the local government leadership, and would ensure a change.

However, the former Presidential Aide to President Muhammadu Buhari on the National Assembly warned that if the elections were not free and fair, the party would react accordingly.

“You are part of those that have congratulated the APC administration for what we’ve done through the instrumentality of the judiciary to pronounce under President Tinubu that local government will now receive their allocation directly from the federal government.

“We want to show the capacity of the All Progressives Congress, and what we can do as APC in Akwa Ibom. I’m sure you’ve not been satisfied with the performance of the local government in Akwa Ibom State, and you’ve not been satisfied.

“But we are cautiously optimistic, and I repeat the word, cautiously optimistic, that His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno, has appeared to be different and has seemed to honour his words that there will be free and fair elections.

“I’m sure in all the other elections that we have participated in this state, we’ve not been this optimistic because the ground did not appear to be a lot level, but we are feeling and believing the governor, although we do not trust the chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission, we do not trust him.

“But we believe that the governor, who we believe, will ensure that that body conducts a free and fair election and the best and better of the candidates will win in each of the local government and the councillors and the local government councils.

“I’m sure you will see that when you look at the list, that this is the highest level in which APC has filed candidates in every local government in this election. And it shows that we are up and on to win the election.

“We are not issuing any threats because His Excellency the Governor, Governor Umo Eno, has assured and we believe that there will be a level playing field, but if the field is not levelled, we will play also in the unleveled field,” he noted. Also speaking, Federal lawmaker representing Ikot Ekpene at the National Assembly, Mr Patrick Umoh said the party was well prepared for the elections.