Two Die As INEC Buses With Sensitive Materials Are Burnt In Akwa Ibom

Two persons have died from attack on buses of the Independent
National Electoral Commission conveying sensitive materials to Obot
Akara Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

The incident happened on Saturday amid the postponement of the
Presidential and National Assembly elections by INEC.

It was gathered that the victims died as a result of gun battle
between the hoodlums and the security personnel on election duties
at Nto Edino, the headquarters of Obot-Akara, during the
distribution of sensitive materials for the postponed Presidential
and National Assembly elections.

An eyewitness, who spoke to some journalists on condition of
anonymity, said security has been beefed up in the area as fear and
confusion had enveloped the community of Obot-Akara.

“As we speak, two persons have been killed and thirteen vehicles
burnt down already in the Local Government headquarters. The crisis
started between the security personnel and some thugs when INEC
staff were distributing sensitive materials for the elections,” the
source said.

However, the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic
Party, Dr Chris Ekpeyong, attributed the crisis to some All
Progressives Congress stalwarts in the local government area who he
alleged have been causing crisis in the local council for a long
time now.

Ekpeyong, who hailed from Obot-Akara said he was in Uyo
monitoring the distribution of the materials when news got to him
that there was crisis going on in the local government and that two
persons have been killed and buses destroyed already.

The PDP senatorial candidate who claimed he knew those who
instigated the crisis said he had already made a formal complaint
to the police authorities to pick them up in order to prevent
future occurrence of the crisis.

According to him, “We know them and they are the same people who
have been causing problem in the locality. I made a formal
complaint to the police for those people to be picked up and
investigated because last time the same people did the same thing
when they were recruiting ad-hoc officers.

“They went ahead to beat up the electoral officer because they
wanted to force him to accept their own list for the ad-hoc staff.
The matter was reported to the police and nothing was done because
they believed they have somebody who is behind them.

“This is the kind of government we have at the centre, they want
to take over Akwa Ibom State by force but I have told my people not
to take a reprisal attack.”

Also, another political stalwart in the area, the Commissioner
for Youths and Sports, Monday Ebong Uko, said he was privy to the
report but must move down to the venue of the incident to ascertain
the level of damage done in the area.

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of Akwa Ibom State
Police Command, Odiko Macdon, when contacted, said he and the
commissioner of police, Bashir Makama, were on their way to the
venue to confirm the veracity of the report.

WANEP deploys 114 observers, develops App for Nigeria’s
elections

Ahead of Nigeria’s presidential election, the West Africa
Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), a leading peace and security
organisation, said it has deployed 114 observer to all the 109
senatorial districts across the country.

The co-Chair of WANEP’s Nigerian elections observer group,
Barrister Aisha Ado Abdullahi, added that 37 personnel comprising
data collectors, analysts, communication experts and eminent
persons will be stationed in their situation room to properly
monitor and analyze the unfolding events from the elections.

Barr. Aisha stated this at the organisation’s maiden election
press conference in Abuja, where she said WANEP has established and
operated Election Monitoring, Analysis and Mitigation (E-MAM)
across W/Africa as part of its support to ECOWAS and AU efforts in
ensuring the credibility and peaceful conduct of elections in
W/Africa.

“The ESR is part of a broader programme launched in October 2018
in Abuja in collaboration with ECOWAS and the AU. The focus of the
ESR is to observe threats to the peaceful conduct of the
electioneering process and provide strategic responses to support
the prevention and mitigation of election related violence during
the Presidential and National Assembly elections of 16 th February
2019. WANEP joins other accredited domestic and international
observers to contribute to credible, free and fair elections across
the 36 states of Nigeria and the FCT. Meanwhile, our ESR comprises
of the Data Gathering, Analysis, Decision and Communication Room,”
she said.

To facilitate their observation, Aisha Abdullahi, said WANEP
collaborated with the ECOWAS Early Warning Directorate (EWD) to
develop a user-friendly Arc GIS online application platform to
generate data from the field observers to the Situation Room in
Abuja.

Her words: “It is a live platform designed to enable
triangulation of reports for analysis and to inform engagement with
national and international stakeholders. It also enhances WANEP’s
strategic contribution to its partners such as ECOWAS, the AU,
United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and
other stakeholders. Additional information will be uploaded through
dedicated WhatsApp platforms and the telephone communications from
the ESR to the observers in the field.”

On his part, Prof. Isaac Albert, co-Chair, commended INEC, the
security agencies and all other stakeholders for their efforts in
preparing for the elections, advising the political parties and
electorate to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and
after the elections.

By PRNigeria