Former Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Senator Godswill Akpabio has said some compromised officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were colluding with Governor Udom Emmanuel to rig the forthcoming elections in the state.
The former Senate Minority leader stated this on Tuesday while addressing newsmen in Abuja. He alleged that the governor had deployed huge sums to entice voters and electoral officials, stressing that some of the INEC officials are not completely independent.
“In some states, we have noticed some unholy alliances with the government in power in those states.
“For example, in a place like Akwa Ibom, we have seen the body language of the government, which clearly shows that they will not be able to conduct free and fair elections, giving all the parties, particularly the APC, a level playing field.
“This is very easy for you to see and from the body language of people they have recruited to run the affairs, including the ad hoc staff and other support staff for the election.
"This can be seen from the body language and the kind of things that the trainees are being told. What the National Chairman observes about opposition against APC does exist.
“There are two things happening in my state. One is a lot of fake news coming from the opposition and secondly, is the massive deployment of funds to buy people.
“James Hardley Chase said in one of his books that fear is the key that opens the wallet of the rich.“He told the people that there was no money to do project and so, there is nothing on the ground in the state.
“They have not been able to commission a single project. All the big men that come to my state, they take the churches to pray.
“When former President Obasanjo came, they took him to church to pray but when they go to other states, they commission projects but nothing to the commission in my state.
“So, now that people are clamouring for change, money is now flowing all over the state. Fear opens the wallet of the rich that is what is happening to the opposition in my state.
“You can only rig election in a place where you are popular. Today, the APC is all over Akwa Ibom state. 80-90 percent of the people are APC. So, when you go to rig election and you don’t succeed, you bring anarchy.”
