By Christian Njoku
Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa on Tuesday lamented the alleged disenfranchisement of Bakassi people in Cross River, in the Saturday Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Ita-Giwa, popularly known as Mama Bakassi, made the observation while addressing newsmen in Calabar.
The septuagenarian, who represented Cross River Southern Senatorial District between 1999 and 2003, said that no election was held in the 50 polling units on the island community.
Ita-Giwa, who was accompanied by some leaders of the area, stated that her people waited in vain for INEC officials on Feb. 25.
“After waiting for hours on the Day Spring Island, Bakassi, we returned to Calabar to see Prof. Gabriel Yomere, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Cross River.
“The REC apologised and promised to look into the issue. We were later asked to return to Bakassi on Feb. 26, for the election. We went back there but the story did not change.
“After waiting for hours on the second day, we were told that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines were still carrying the date of the previous day and would not function, unless they were re-configured.
“It is unfair to make people, whose ancestral lands were ceded away unconstitutionally, refugees in their own country.
“We have 50 polling units on Bakassi Islands, they cannot be wasted.
“We want to vote for all the positions, we have our permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), so, INEC must organise election for us to vote,” she said.
Similarly, Mr Bassey Edet, a former Chairman of Bakassi Local Government, described the development as a great disappointment to the people.
According to him, the disenfranchisement is an infringement on their rights.
Prof. Eyong Ubana, Electoral Officer for Bakassi Local Government has, however, said that elections actually took place in the area on Saturday.
Ubana said this on Tuesday while presenting the results of the area at the State Collation Centre in Calabar.
The electoral officer claimed that there was a low turnout of residents of the area for the exercise.
Ubana said, “6,023 votes were expected from the 50 polling units in the area, but the people refused to come out to vote.
“There was a very high voter apathy; the total vote cast was 1,147,” he said. (NAN)