Akwa Ibom Senatorial Poll: Akpabio Loses To Ekpenyong At Tribunal

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and former Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, has lost the Akwa Ibom Senatorial bid to Senator Christopher Ekpenyong.

The National and State House of Assembly Election Tribunal, sitting in Uyo, upheld the victory of Senator Christopher Ekpenyong of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the February 23 elections as the Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District at the Senate.

The 1st Petitioner, Senator Godswill Akpabio of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had challenged the elections on the ground that Senator Christopher Ekpenyong was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast during the elections for the North West Senatorial District.

He (Akpabio) also noted that the election that produced Senator Christopher Ekpeyong as winner was invalid owing to non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act in the conduct of the election.

In a majority Judgement of two justices, the three-man tribunal dismissed the petition and upheld as valid, the declaration of Senator Christopher Ekpenyong as the winner of the election.

Describing the petition as “lacking merit”, the panel noted that the petitioner failed to prove that he won the said election as well as failed to present convincing evidence of noncompliance with Electoral Act as raised in his petition.