Akpabio Wins Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial Ticket, Ayade Loses Out

After his failed bid to clinch the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, immediate past Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has emerged the winner of Akwa Ibom North West senatorial primary.

Akpabio emerged on Thursday night hours before the expiration of time for conduct of all primaries that was set by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

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It was the second primaries conducted in the senatorial zone after the first primary conducted on May 28, 2022, was cancelled following security infractions during the exercise.


At the re-run conducted at the Godswill Akpabio Empowerment Centre in Ikot Ekpene local government area, Akpabio polled 478 votes, while Joseph Akpan scored only one vote, the former Deputy Inspector General of Police Ekpoudom, who initially won the first primary this time scored three votes.

Out of the total 540 delegates, 512 were accredited to vote while eleven votes were voided.

Speaking after his victory, he said, “I thank the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district for finding me worthy to be given another opportunity to contest for senatorial seat in the Senate. I recall when you gave me the first mandate from 2015 to 2019.

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“I recall that there is no Senator ever that did the kind of empowerment I did for you. I know a lot of projects were done across the ten local government areas, from markets to water projects, to electrification project, to building of classroom blocks,”

In his remarks earlier, the state APC Chairman, Mr Stephen Ntukekpo said, “There was some infractions in the primaries held about some weeks ago and I was directed by the National Working Committee to carry out a re-run.

“We have about five aspirants in this exercise. They were all informed and are fully aware. The aspirants are Sir Joseph Akpan, DIG Ekpo Udom, Obong Emem Ekperikpe Ekpo, and Senator Godswill Akpabio,” Ntukekpo
said.
Meanwhile, the Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade could not force a re-run after his defeat at the APC Presidential Primaries.

The conduct of the primary for the Cross River North Senatorial District has been dogged with controversy with Ayade denying that he took part in the exercise which was held on the 28 of May chaired by Ushie Innocent.

In that primary, which involved four aspirants, Adams Cecilia polled 140 votes while a political associate Martin Orim scored 61 and Ayade scored 52.

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Ayade however denied he participated in the primary. Speaking through his media chief, Chris Ita, he said in a statement that, “We make bold to say that the so-called parallel primary election as contained in the said video was at best a poorly scripted skit comedy shot by three persons sitting in a room.
“The sham video is indeed a joke taken too far. It was a vapid, infantile but failed attempt at manipulation, as the clowns behind it tragically forgot to also manufacture ballot boxes, delegates, observers and APC panel members,” it said.

With the primary’s time table closed on Thursday, it has effectively ended the ambition of the governor to return to the Senate.

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