By Chioma Onuegbu Uyo

THE Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Akwa Ibom State, Dr Cyril Omorogbe has disclosed that the Ikono/Ini federal constituency seat in Akwa Ibom State would be declared cancelled following the violence that marred the Re-run in Ikono local government area on Saturday.

Omorogbe who disclosed this to newsmen Saturday night in his office, also confirmed reports about the corps member that was shot in the leg at one of the polling units in the same Ikono LG.

He noted that Officials of the Commissíon returned from the field and reported that in the 17polling units in Ikono LGA, the process was either hijacked or disrupted, adding that the collation officers have written their report, stating that election didn’t hold in the area.

He however noted that both the Abak/ Etim Ekpo/Ika federal consituency and Etim Ekpo/Ika state consituency supplementary polls would be declared.

His words: “This is just to give an update of what happened today in terms of the Re-run election. The fact is that we had four Local Governments where we conducted election and a major one was Ikono.

“The conclusion in terms of Ikono/Ini federal consituency at this point is that that particular constituency will be declared cancelled. The exercise in Ikono was abysmal.

“On the other federal consituency, which is Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika, and the Etim Ekpo/Ika state consituency, I am still expecting to hear from them. But I will say at this point that things went well there. Perhaps in the next couple of hours the results will be declared on those ones”

Asked whether he was aware of the Corps member that was shot when violence erupted in Ikono LG, the REC responded, “Sure I am aware. He was shot and he is still in the hospital. We’ve done our best in terms of sending money out there to make sure that he is treated well.

” I believe he will be okay in the long run. He was shot in the leg and he has gone through surgery so far. I believe he is actually recuperating”

Also responding to a question, on what
happens after declaring Ikono/Ini Federal consituency cancelled, Omorogbe responded: “What happens now, is that in due course perhaps the Commissíon will probably meet in Abuja and decide on what the next step should be”

He stressed that the Commissíon might decide to go to election tomorrow, or in six months time, even as he noted that he was not in the right position to say what the next step would be.

He, however, attributed the irregularities and violence to desperationstressing, “We’ve had situations like this for years. People are just desperate, but we? I don’t know. the Electoral process in Nigeria needs fine-tuning”