INEC Rejects Buhari's Ex-Minister, Recognises Contender as APC Senatorial Candidate
- Former Niger Delta affairs minister, Godswill Akpabio, may have lost the bid to contest for a Senate seat in the 2023 elections
- After stepping down for Tinubu at the APC presidential primary, Akpabio via a controversial process secured the party's ticket for the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial seat
- The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom, Mike Igini, said INEC will not recognise the primary election which produced Akpabio
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Uyo, Akwa Ibom state - The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reportedly rejected the primaries which produced Godswill Akpabio as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district.
Daily Trust reported that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mike Igini said in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital, on Sunday, June 12, that the commission would only recognise the winner of the primaries monitored by INEC.
Source: Facebook
He denied the claim that the commission monitored the re-run APC senatorial primaries, where Akpabio emerged winner.
“The primaries was concluded on the 27th of last month, 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.
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“INEC is not aware of any senatorial primaries conducted on Thursday (June 9) that was monitored by INEC, none,” he stated.
The REC also affirmed that the APC has no governorship candidate in the state, saying the governorship primary where Akanimo Udofia emerged winner was not monitored by INEC.
How Akpabio purportedly emerged APC senatorial candidate
Akpabio, who stepped down for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling APC at the convention, was declared winner of a senatorial primary conducted on Thursday, June 9.
The state APC chairman, Stephen Ntukekpo, had said he was directed by the party at the national level to carry out a re-run over alleged infractions.
According to the result of the rerun senatorial primary election, Akpabio emerged winner with 478 votes, while DIG Ekpo Udom (rtd), who won the first primary, secured just three votes.
INEC says APC does not have governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom
In another related development, INEC in Akwa Ibom has said that the APC in the state has no governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections.
The development was contained in a report sent to the INEC headquarters in Abuja by the REC, Mike Igini.
“We wish to report that the APC governorship primary scheduled to hold on Thursday, May 26, 2022, at the Sheergrace Arena, Nsikak Eduok Avenue, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State did not hold at all," Igini wrote.
Source: Legit.ng
