Two aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Cross River Central Senatorial District, Senator Eteng Jones Williams and Ms. Mary Ekpere, have rejected the results circulating on social media, asserting that no primary election was conducted across all 66 wards in the district.
Aspirants Deny Voting
In separate statements on Tuesday, the aspirants urged their supporters and party faithful to disregard the purported results, describing them as fictitious and aimed at causing division within the APC. Senator Williams, who closely monitored the process, stated that his team visited all 66 wards and confirmed that no voting occurred anywhere in the district.
“No election took place. There was no presence of party officials sent to conduct the primaries. My supporters and I kept vigil until 8:00 pm, yet no officials showed up,” he said. He added that in his own community, which has over 1,000 registered voters, no voting materials arrived, denying residents the opportunity to participate.
“I do not understand this desperation. Elections are meant to test popularity on the field, not through the backdoor,” Williams stated. He alleged that election materials meant for the primaries were reportedly handed over to some Cross River State government officials, who then worked on them at an undisclosed location.
“It is ridiculous that they allocated just 200 votes to my community, where I have consistently enjoyed over 80% support for more than 15 years. How is that even possible in Boki or Obubra, where I command strong followership?” he queried.
Senator Williams further noted that officials never contacted him to provide his agents for the exercise, despite him being an aspirant. He called on the APC leadership to intervene and ensure justice, especially since one of the alleged beneficiaries was reportedly not cleared to participate in the primaries.
Mary Ekpere Expresses Disappointment
Ms. Mary Ekpere also expressed disappointment at the alleged unfair treatment. “As an aspirant, I neither saw the electoral materials nor was allowed to cast a vote for myself. We are all members of this party and Governor Bassey Otu’s children. We only ask to be treated fairly and equally,” she said.
“How can one person be treated as special while others are treated like outcasts? This is a party primary. Let us go to the field, compete fairly, and whoever wins, we will support. We demand justice, equity, and fairness,” she added.
