Amid opposition protests especially from Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has overwhelmingly won the local government elections across 30 of the 31 councils in Akwa Ibom State.
The Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC), Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, who declared the outcome of the Saturday:s contest on Sunday, said the ruling PDP won in all the councils except Essien Udim LGA, hometown of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) won.
However, Akpabio, who lamented the PDP’s sweeping victory, recalled that during his era as Governor (2007-2015), he never demonstrated high disregard and disdain for the opposition, as Governor Umo Eno expressed at the weekend’s LGA elections in the State.
“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 Championship position in Ini LGA and other councilorship positions,” he recalled.
Also, the House of Representatives member representing Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency on the Young Peoples Party (YPP) platform, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo described the exercise and its outcome as “shambolic”, noting that it was deliberately designed to have a predetermined outcome for the PDP.
Therefore, he called on his YPP supporters to remain calm, warning against taking the laws into their hands in the face of what he described as polling corruption that characterised the contest.
Responding, his colleague in the Green Chamber, Rt. Hon. Uduak Odudoh, representing Ikot Abasi/Mkpat Enin/Eastern Obolo, Federal Constituency, dismissed the claims of rigging for the PDP in the just-concluded poll, explaining that while the PDP had sufficiently prepared and campaigned to woo voters, the opposition, especially the ruling APC at the centre, were asleep.
