Akpabio Loses Out As PDP Wins Akwa Ibom Rerun Elections

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won the rerun elections for the senate, state and federal constituencies in Akwa Ibom State.

The elections held on Saturday in Essien Udim local government area. It was, however, characterised by violence and ballot-stealing.

Some election officials were held hostage in the area, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said.

For the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District election, the PDP candidate, Chris Ekpenyong, scored 134,717 votes to beat the former senator, Godswill Akpabio, who had 83,820 votes, according to the result released Sunday morning by INEC.

Mr Akpabio lost his bid to return to the Senate for a second term in 2019 when INEC declared Mr Ekpenyong winner of the poll.

Amid complaints of election fraud and a petition to the tribunal, the former Senate minority leader who was later appointed minister of Niger Delta Afairs, said he was no longer interested in a repeat poll, but INEC rejected a replacement of candidate.

The PDP candidate for the Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency election, Nsikak Ekong, scored 45,366 votes, while his closest rival Emmanuel Akpan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 22,757.

For the Essien Udim State Constituency, the PDP candidate, Esse Umoh, scored 18,999 votes, while the APC candidate, Nse Ntuen scored 7,108 votes.

The APC and its candidates for elections into the state and federal constituencies had announced their withdrawal from the poll hours before its commencement.

Giving reasons for his withdrawal, Nse Ntuen, the APC candidate for the Essien Udim State Constituency election, claimed he won 2019 election and that the Court of Appeal did not order for a rerun election.

Mr Ntuen said, in a statement on Friday, that he has filed a suit in court to “compel INEC to release my Certificate of Return and disembark from conducting any election without further delay”.

On his part, Emmanuel Akpan, the APC candidate for the Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency election, said he withdrew from the rerun because he did not trust the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mike Igini, to organise a free and fair election.