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My attention has been drawn to some social media analysis of my interview with some journalist at INEC Premises and my interview at the Planet Radio FM 101.1 on Thursday 9th April, 2015.
Of course, I cannot deny supporting Obong Umana Okon Umana or “disown him“under any circumstances. My support for him and working for him date back to the first day he declared interest in the gubernatorial race and was booted out of office.
Obong Umana Okon Umana knows this very well himself and all his supporters, associates and in fact, the whole Akwa Ibom people know this, having seen me endorse him publicly at several fora to their consternation and seeing me working in all ways and manners in the country to promote his gubernatorial ambition.
Everybody in the State and outside the State know the total rigging actions the PDP government took in this State on the 28th of March, 2015 during the Presidential and National Assembly Elections, when we didn’t see result sheets at any Polling Units, when they carted away election materials and filled the Results sheets with bogus figures and their announcements, which surprisingly were upheld by INEC despite all the protestations.
So since then, I and other supporters of Obong Umana Okon Umana have been working round the clock at home and in Abuja to stop such wanton rigging by the Governor Akpabio administration with the accompanying violence in the State in which many supporters of APC died before and during the elections.
It was in this regard, to take all necessary steps and actions to avoid a repeat rigging performance of PDP that I assembled some concerned Elders and lovers of peaceful elections from both APC and PDP in the State to meet the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Akwa Ibom State in his office on the 9th of April 2015. Fortunately the REC obliged us the meeting and we met him in the company of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State and a military officer. As a mixed political group our presentation focused on how to achieve a free and fair election under a violent free environment so as not to repeat what happened on the 28th of March, 2015 so that whosoever wins would be the choice of the people and not through rigging.
We did not go there to campaign for one Party or the other, or one candidate or the other. But to entreat and impress on INEC and the Police to give the State a peaceful environment in the conduct of the elections according to the Approved INEC Guidelines and regulations.
We achieved a great level of success and understanding during the meeting including the postponement of the State House of Assembly election in Ukanafun due to the death of the candidate which was brought up by us. We also agreed on additional measures to be put in place to check violence and rigging by all the Parties in the State so that whosoever wins is seen to win fairly. It was these measures agreed with us by the two authorities and also the collection of telephone numbers of the Election Office Co-ordinating Centre in INEC (EOSC) to disseminate to all Akwa Ibom people to report any infractions during the elections to the INEC office, that formed the content of my press address to the waiting journalist at the INEC Premises who enquired of our meeting with the REC. This was also the content of part of my interview at the Planet 101.1 FM Radio station where I acted as an advocate for peaceful, rig free, free and fare gubernatorial and State House elections on the 11th of April, 2015. It was when I spoke thus and I released the telephone numbers to the public on the Radio that the interviewer jovially asked me whether I have a candidate to which I replied that my interest there as an Elder at the station was to canvass for peaceful and rig free elections no matter who wins.
Of course, everybody in this State knows that barring massive and violent rigging by the PDP and Government forces, as it happened during the Presidential and NASS elections, Obong Umana Okon Umana will win with a landslide as everybody in the State is poised for change and are entreating us, Elders to ensure the containment of the PDP rigging on Saturday April 11, 2015.
So it is very uncharitable for some social medial analysts and Newspapers to take my comments out of context and mischievously interpret my good works as denying Obong Umana Okon Umana when I am doing everything possible to ensure his victory. I wonder where these social media people and some newspaper writers think I would go to after denying Obong Umana Okon Umana with all the things I said during the interview on the radio against Governor Akapbio and the PDP which made Governor Akpabio to rush to the studio to refute some.
I want to say that many Elders, Politicians and supporters of Obong Umana Okon Umana have called me and Sms me to congratulate me on the interview and on the outcome of the meeting with the INEC REC. The best service by anybody to render to Obong Umana Okon Umana now is how to stop the PDP rigging.
By God’s grace we shall contain the rigging of Governor Akpabio’s forces and Obong Okon Umana will emerge victorious on Saturday 11th April, 2015 because he is the face of change Akwa Ibom people are yearning for to stop the financial profligacy, wanton embezzlement of State fund and the personalization of governance with desire to turn Akwa Ibom State into a private family property.
Thank you and God Bless
Chie Don Obot Etiebet, CON
Atuekong Annang
Obong Uwana AKwa Ibom
