Suspicion, strife mar voting in Meme IA

By Sirri NTONIFOR TANGWE in K’ba
While official results were still awaited in the various sections of Meme CPDM, unofficial projections showed that except for Meme IA and Mbonge, all other sections in Meme will see the incumbents re-elected. While Senator Otte Andrew Mofa was said to be on course to succeed his elder brother, Ekong William as section president in Mbonge, it was not the case for Meme IA, Kumba, where Tabot Lawson alias Njalla was said to be giving incumbent Prince Ekale Mukete a run for his money and ambition.
    The reorganisation committee led by Richard N. Njikam, was accused by Ekale Mukete of trying to doctor results in favour of Njalla. It is worthy to note that Njikam and Ekale Mukete have been at loggerheads for a while now with the latter previously refusing to recognize the former as the boss of the local committee for the reorganization in Meme IA.
     Nonetheless, Senator Nfon Victor Mukete called a victory party on behalf of his son, Prince Ekale Mukete, even before the results were published.
    Worthy to note that the Meme IA section has been a trouble spot for many years running, with mayhem reigning before, during and after every other election.

     Militants of the Meme IA (Kumba I) CPDM therefore went to the polls on November 18 amid wrangling and allegations of vote manipulations. With 4 contestants for the position of Section President, elections which were to end by 1 pm rather took-off after that hour, while in some sub-sections, there was no voting at all.
    In Makata Subsection for example only 2 persons voted this, because many could not find their names on electoral lists which reportedly bore names strange to the militants of that sub-section.
    Military intervention was sought to stamp out any strife as it was asserted that only persons whose names appeared on the voters list would be allowed to vote.
    Moreover, the presence of students from nearby institutions holding party cards and with their names on the electoral lists spoke volumes and agitated party faithful. While many of these students cast their votes in Makata, those from HTTTC Kumba and other secondary schools were chased away from the vicinity of the CPDM party hall in Kumba town native Subsection with some of their party cards reportedly seized and torn.