The peaceful conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections in Akwa Ibom State has drawn commendation from security authorities and party stakeholders, with speakers attributing the success of the exercise to effective security collaboration, strong party leadership and the peaceful disposition of the people.
Speaking after monitoring the elections, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Baba Azare praised residents for maintaining peace throughout the exercise, noting that all elections held in the state were conducted without violence.
He said from the commencement of the primaries to the presidential primary election, no incident of unrest or injury was recorded anywhere in the state.
The police commissioner thanked Akwa Ibom people for their orderly conduct and also commended security agencies for working together to provide a safe and conducive atmosphere for party members to vote.
According to him, security was effectively deployed across polling and collation centres, while officers remained on ground across the state to ensure the smooth conduct of the process.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Akwa Ibom State, Uwemedimo Udo commended the leadership of the party in the state and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for creating an enabling environment that allowed party faithful to freely participate in the primaries.
He described the exercise—from the House of Representatives and Senate primaries to the House of Assembly, governorship and presidential contests—as peaceful and transparent.
Dr Udo particularly praised Governor Umo Eno, describing him as a compassionate and peace-loving leader whose leadership style has fostered calm and unity across the state.
He said the peaceful atmosphere observed throughout the primaries reflects both the governor’s disposition and the confidence of the people in his administration.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Ita Enang also lauded the conduct of the exercise, describing Akwa Ibom as a model of organization for APC primaries nationwide.
Ambassador Enang said the state distinguished itself in terms of coordination, record keeping, timeliness and grassroots mobilization, with large voter turnout recorded even in areas with unopposed aspirants.
He noted that the primaries also demonstrated growing unity within the APC in Akwa Ibom, saying party members across tendencies had come together under one platform in support of the party’s future.
The stakeholders expressed confidence that the peaceful and successful conduct of the primaries would strengthen the party ahead of future elections while further consolidating political stability in Akwa Ibom State.
By; Ikechukwu Agbamebue, Uyo.
