National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Paulinus Nta A’IBOM
Amid opposition protests, particularly from Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured a dominant victory in the Akwa Ibom State local government elections, winning 30 of the 31 councils. The results were declared by the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC), Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, on Sunday, following the contest held the previous day.
Ikoiwak confirmed that the PDP won all local government areas (LGAs) except for Essien Udim, Akpabio’s hometown, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious.
Reacting to the results, Akpabio expressed disappointment with what he described as Governor Umo Eno’s disrespect for the opposition during the election. He compared this to his tenure as governor from 2007 to 2015, emphasising that he had shown greater fairness in handling opposition parties during his time in office.
“When I was the Governor of Akwa Ibom State (2007-2015), I conducted about two elections. I remember one occasion when I flew back into the state, and I was told that there was a crisis in the local government election and that the opposition had rejected the results. The then Chairman of AKISIEC, Gloria Ukpong, had told me stakeholders would accept the results. I said she should declare for the opposition, and the ANPP won the Chairmanship position in Ini LGA and other councilorship positions,” Akpabio recalled.
Additionally, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo, a House of Representatives member representing Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency under the Young Peoples Party (YPP), strongly criticised the election. He described the process and outcome as “shambolic” and accused the PDP of orchestrating the results to ensure their victory.
Ukpong-Udo urged his supporters to remain calm, warning against any attempts to take the law into their own hands despite the alleged corruption and irregularities that marred the election. He emphasised the need for peaceful conduct in the face of what he termed a flawed electoral process.
