YPP Wins House Of Representatives Re-run In Akwa Ibom
By Bukar BOLORI
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) as the winner of the re-run election for the Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State.
Ukpong-Udo, who is returning to the National Assembly for a second term, polled a total of 24,050 votes to defeat his closest challenger Glory Edet of the Peoples Democratic Party who scored 17,282 votes.
He was first elected to the National Assembly on the platform of the PDP but boycotted the PDP primary and later defected to the YPP.
This would be the second time that the federal lawmaker is defeating Edet, a former commissioner in the state.
The electoral body had declared the 25 February 2023 election in the area inconclusive and fixed 15 April same year for a supplementary election, saying it was marred by violence and ballot box snatching.
The supplementary election, according to the commission, was again characterised by violence and irregularities, forcing INEC to cancel the election.
The commission later collated results in some polling units where it said elections took place, merged it with the results of the 25 February and declared Ukpong-Udo as the winner.
Edet, the PDP candidate who was not satisfied with the outcome, challenged the commission’s decision and won at the Court of Appeal, which ordered the rerun.
In Saturday’s rerun in which the YPP candidate defeated the PDP candidate, the commission also cancelled elections in some polling units in the area, saying it was marred by violence and carting away of voting materials.
In the second re-run for Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, the YPP candidate, Moses Essien, again, defeated the PDP candidate, Godwin Ekpo.
Ekpo had challenged the victory of Essien in the 18 March 2023 election and won at the Appeal Court which ordered a rerun in the area.
In the re-run election conducted on Saturday, Godwin Ayi, INEC’s collation officer, declared Essien, the YPP candidate, as the winner of the election, without giving details of votes scored by the two candidates.
