PDP wins Akwa Ibom rerun

The Peoples Democratic Party has won the Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial rerun, Essien Udim Federal Constituency and the Essien Udim House of Assembly supplementary election.
Prof. Robert Dode of the University of Uyo, the Independent National Electoral Commission Returning Officer for Akwa Ibom Northwest, announced on Sunday that Christopher Ekpenyong of the PDP won the senatorial re-run election.
He said Ekpenyong polled 134,717 votes, while Senator Godswill Akpabio of the All Progressives, who had earlier announced his withdrawal, polled 83,820 votes.
Also INEC Returning Officer for Essien Udim Federal Constituency election, Prof. Idara Akpabio of the University of Uyo, declared Nsikak Ekong of the PDP as winner having polled 45,366 votes.
Akpabio said Emmanuel Akpan of the APC scored 22,757 votes to place second.
In the House of Assembly supplementary election, the Returning Officer, Prof. Victor Ebong of the University of Uyo, declared Esse Umoh of PDP winner having polled 18,999 votes to defeat Nse Ntuen of the APC who scored 7,108.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Appeal Court had directed INEC to conduct re-run election into Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial District, Essien Udim Federal Constituency and supplementary election into Essien Udim State Constituency.
The state APC Chairman, Ini Okopido, on January 24 announced the withdrawal of the party from the re-run election.
Okopido alleged that Mike Igini, the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, had shown unprecedented bias against APC.