By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Calabar – Despite commendations the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has been getting by both Nigerians and the international community, the Senate Deputy Leader,  Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) has said that he has no confidence in the commission.

Besides, Senator Ndoma-Egba has enthused that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan will win clearly in the first ballot.

Speaking in Calabar in what looked like his assessment of the National Assembly elections and whether he has confidence in  INEC conducting a free, fair, credible and acceptable election in the country, the Senate Deputy Leader expressed fears that the country may not get what it expects especially in Cross River State.

He said, “I don’t have any confidence in INEC. Not the INEC in Calabar no. And I tell you why. The ACN candidate for the House of Representatives, CJ Ojong is my relation. His father was INEC’s returning officer in a constituency in which his son was contesting election.

“The ACN House of Representatives candidate’s father was a returning officer in Boki. So how can you claim any fairness? What has happened is that we recognize that we are not going to have a referee that is neutral in Cross River and that is why we are working to make sure that in spite of him, the whole world sees that we are winning our election.

“So the whole world would now be our own INEC, not the gentleman we have here. The explanation he has given is that the names were drawn by the Vice Chancellor, but ultimately he takes responsibility. The buck  stops on his table”, he said.

He further stated that “We have protested. We are waiting for them to react. The name of the candidate’s father is Ntufam Dr Mathew Ojong.  I still insist that INEC is a 12th player in the elections.

“He (Mike Igini, the Resident Electoral Commissioner) is still wearing the opponents’ jersey in this football match. With this kind of referee, we are going to have to work very hard.

“The father of the House of Representatives candidate in ACN being a returning officer in that constituency. How do you explain it? I am sure if the reverse were the case Cross River would have been pulled down. If the father of a PDP candidate were a returning officer, the INEC man here would be shouting to the whole world.

“But because it is ACN, he is quiet. We should apply the same standards for everybody. I think that INEC owes Nigerians an explanation for that kind of oversight”, he said.

Commenting on the chances of President Jonathan winning clearly without any re-run, he said, “I think the president would win on the first ballot very clearly. Those who are hoping for a rerun would be thoroughly disappointed.

“The PDP would still hold a substantial majority in the National Assembly. But we are going to have more colours in the National Assembly because we are going to see the presence of many more parties. So it is going to be a more colourful NASS”, he stated.

Ndoma-Egba said that the outcome of the National Assembly elections would have impact on its internal politics and would lead to the formation of alliances within the chambers.

“We would have the benefit of more perspectives. Because of the domineering presence of PDP, it was like a PDP-run NASS. It is not going to change much because like I said the PDP is still going to enjoy the majority”, he said.

The election in the Cross River Central where Ndoma-Egba is contesting was postponed to April 26.