Atiku wins in A’Ibom

…as Akpabio loses bid to return to Senate

Presidential candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP, Atiku Abubabr has won 28 of the 30 local government areas in Akwa Ibom state.

Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took two councils namely Mbo and Essien Udim, where Senator Godswill Akpabio hails from.

Elections in Udung Uko were canceled due to alleged violence and irregularities arising from snatching of ballot boxes, result sheets and card readers.

This is as a strong indication emerged Monday night that Senator Godswill Akpabio had finally lost his reelection bid to the senate to the PDP candidate, Engineer Chris Ekpenyong of the PDP.

Results from 8 out of the 10 local government areas that make up Ikot Ekpene senatorial district favoured the PDP senatorial candidate.

Akpabio won in Ikot Ekpene with a slight margin.

The INEC finally rejected the result from Essien Udim, Akpabio’s local government after it confirmed through the card reader that votes earlier allocated to Senator Akpabio was much more than the total number of accredited voters in the council area.

Speaking the resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini said elections in the state was generally peaceful despite pockets of violence evidenced in the destruction of INEC materials and attacks on the staff of the Commission by thugs working for the politicians.

‘’Those who are threatening our staff should stop it. The intimidation is getting too much. I am here to preside over the affairs of elections in this state. For the first time to ensure credibility of the elections, materials were deployed and there were destroyed and at a great loss to our country. The time to snatch ballot boxes and write results is over. If you can win, you will win’’, he said.

All Progressives Congress (APC) kicked against the result of the presidential election, calling for its cancellation over alleged electoral fraud.

Addressing the press after the collation of the results, Presidential Agent for APC, Bishop Samuel Akpan, alleged that the polls was fraught with irregularities and completely short of democratic norms.

State Party Agent, Umana Umana said, ‘’the position of our party is well documented. The whole process of collation is not satisfactory to our party. Votes buying were experienced all over the state. We hope that the umpire will take note of the grievances in our petition. We are talking about the integrity of the process. We are saying that the umpire to be seen to be fair to all concerns.

Similarly, Presidential Agent of APC, Arc Bishop Samuel Akpan also alleged votes buying and manipulation by PDP in connivance with INEC.

‘’Long before now, our party has been agitating that we do not have confident in the process. In addition, the outcome has proved now that there has been compromise arising from money that has changed hands. Akwa Ibom is an APC State and the people that made the PDP are now in the APC.

The results we are getting do not reflect the votes that we have. This is not the type of democracy that we want. We urge the federal government to rise and protect our democracy,’’ he said.