PDP Urges Akpabio To Resign & Recontest, Welcomes Appeal Court Judgment

The Peoples Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom State has welcomed the
judgement of the Court of Appeal on the Akwa Ibom North West
Senatorial election.

The court on Saturday nullified the election of Chris Ekpenyong
and ordered a rerun in only one local government area – Essien Udim
Local Government Area – between Mr Ekpenyong and Godswill Akpabio,
a former Senate minority leader.

Mr Akpabio hails from Essien Udim.

“We welcome the judgement of the Court of Appeal which has
proven that widespread irregularities occurred in Essien Udim Local
Government Area and we are preparing for the election,” Ini
Emembong, the PDP spokesperson in Akwa Ibom state, said, Saturday
evening.

“And we are expecting Senator Akpabio’s resignation (as Minister
of Niger Delta Affairs) so that he can come for the election,” Mr
Ememobong added.

The PDP spokesperson later issued a statement, saying the rerun
would afford the PDP a chance to widen its victory margin against
Mr Akpabio and the APC.

“It is on record that the margin of victory currently
outstanding is in tens of thousands of votes, which has not been
affected by the judgement of the court.

“Our party urges the general public to ignore the false stories
being peddled by members of the opposition APC about the judgement
– which specifically ordered a rerun in Essien Udim local
government area alone,” Mr Ememobong said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had
declared Mr Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom,
winner of the February 2019 election which truncated Mr Akpabio’s
ambition to return to the Senate for a second term.

Mr Akpabio faulted INEC’s declaration and accused the election
commission of “tampering” with the election result.

Mr Akpabio’s election petition against Mr Ekpenyong and INEC
failed at the lower tribunal as it affirmed that Mr Ekpenyong won
the election.

The appellate court ruled on Saturday that it was wrong for INEC
to have declared Mr Ekpenyong winner of the election.

The court ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return
from Mr Ekpenyong and conduct a rerun in Essien Udim within 90
days.
Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom, resigned from his
position as the Senate minority leader and defected from the PDP to
the APC where he contested the election.

Subscribe ToNairalaw News!