Jubilation as INEC dismisses Akpabio’s alleged senatorial primary victory

Jubilation has enveloped the atmosphere of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial district following the rejection of senator God’swill Akpabio’s alleged fraudulent victory at the rerun senatorial primary held on the 9th of June 2022.

It was learnt on Sunday that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rejected the primary election which produced former Senate Minority leader, Godswill Akpabio as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.

It would be recalled that Akpabio stepped down for the National Leader of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the party’s presidential primaries on Tuesday.

He was allegedly declared the winner of a fraudulent senatorial primary election held in the state on Thursday, June 9, 2022.

The Akwa Ibom State APC Chairman, Stephen Ntukekpo narrated that he was ordered by the ruling party’s national body to conduct a re-run over alleged infractions.

It was also gathered that Akpabio never participated in the earlier senatorial primary elections conducted in the state on the 27th of May 2022.

However, results of the fraudulent senatorial rerun indicated that Akapbio emerged the winner with 478 votes, while DIG Ekpo Udom (rtd), who won the first primary, secured just three votes.

But the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Mike Igini, told Daily Trust that INEC would only recognise the winner of the primaries monitored by the commission.

According to him, INEC did not monitor the re-run APC senatorial primaries, which saw Akpabio emerge a winner.

“The primaries were concluded on the 27 of May, so I don’t know what you are talking about. The one that was conducted was monitored by INEC and the report has been submitted to Abuja.

“INEC is not aware of any senatorial primaries conducted on Thursday (June 9) that was monitored by INEC, none,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the REC also affirmed that the APC has no governorship candidate in the state.