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Godswill Akpabio has been declared winner of the governorship election in Akwa Ibom State and returned for a second term.

Mr Akpabio who contested under the platform of the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won majority of the votes cast in the
state, defeating his main contender, John Akpanudoedehe of the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

The party won 29 out of the 31 local government areas excluding Uyo and Uruan local government areas where the ACN won.

The PDP had a total of 957,585 votes to emerge as
the winning party out of a total 1,648,808 votes cast, while the ACN
had a total of 163,449 votes to emerge second closely followed by the
Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) with 15,660 votes.

Announcing the results, returning officer in the
state, Comfort Ekpo said though there were pockets of election
malpractices, the results were okay to be presented.

“We have come a long way. Though we had some form of
malpractice along the line, party agents should take the election
results as the overall presented for the office of the governor.”

Party rejects results

The Director General of Akpanudoedehe campaign
organisation, Udoma Ekarika had earlier noted that the ACN had rejected
the results of the election, and called on INEC to cancel it.

The party accused the PDP of several electoral fraud
and irregularities including the use of hired thugs in police and army
uniforms to intimidate and shoot at the voters.

The electoral frauds mentioned were, “forcing people
to vote for the PDP, beating people up, snatching ballot boxes and
papers, shooting to intimidate voters, deliberate delay of delivery of
materials and commencement of voting, refusal to deliver vital
materials such as inks, pads, and result sheets”.

He said electoral irregularities were witnessed in
local governments like Uyo, Ibiono Ibom, Ibesikpo, Nsit Ibom, Nsit
Ubium, Uruan, Etinan, Ikot Abasi and Itu.

In announcing the results for their local government
areas, returning officers for the council areas reported that the
elections were relatively peaceful.

They explained that there were many incidents of
ballot-box snatching, intimidation of corps members and resistance of
electoral officers in some areas.

The use of guns and eruption of fighting in few
units made some corps members abandon their duty posts, and led to the
cancellation of elections in about 51 units across the state.

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