Akwa
Ibom State indigenes have shutdown Uyo and its environs over irregularities and
snatching of ballot boxes by the people they described as the Peoples’
Democratic Party (PDP) thugs during the Governorship and House of Assembly
elections that took place across the 31 local government areas on Saturday.
Already five people have been reportedly feared dead
during the polls in about five local government areas in the state during the
polls.
The protest was triggered by the on-going announcement by
the State’s Independent National Electoral Commission which clearly shows the
PDP leading where most of the protesters claimed no election took place.
The protesters are of mainly of the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
They mounted road blocks along the popular Oron Road near
Asong Ama by Udo Udoma junction with a call on INEC to stop the announcement of
the results.
The protesters were prevented from entering Udo Udoma
Avenue by the heavily armed security operatives that used their Armoured
Personnel Carrier (APC) and Hilux patrol vans to block the road to avoid the
disruption of the results announcement.
During
the polls, there were reported cases of violence in almost all the 31 local
government areas with political parties agents accusing the PDP thugs of
snatching ballot papers.
Former Akwa Ibom State Governor Victor Attah, who
addressed reporters in Uyo, said he witnessed policemen carting away ballot
boxes.
Attah, who was also disenfranchised, said he could not
cast his votes because INEC officials informed him that electoral materials had
been carted away by gunmen.
Attah explained that not only in his unit but several
units across the state there were no elections.
He said at his unit, the Police Public Relations Officer,
pleaded that I should ensure that my people do not make trouble.
Attah said: “I told INEC I have come to vote. So I will
like to do my accreditation. They said sorry sir. It is not possible. I asked
why is it not possible? They said at the distribution of electoral material
centre that people came with Machetes, guns and shot in the air. They carted
away all the materials including even the INEC card readers.
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