Essien Udim Elections: Ekpenyong, Ekong, Umoh Receive Certificates Of Return... Aggrieved Can Go To Court - INEC

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By UbongAbasi Ise

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has yesterday issued certificates of return in Abuja to all three candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that were declared winners in the just concluded rerun elections in Essien Udim local government area, Akwa Ibom State.

They include Senator Chris Ekpenyong, lawmaker elected to represent Akwa Ibom North-West(Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District; Atuekong Nsikak Ekong, member-elect for Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency; and Barr. Esse Umoh, elected-member to represent Essien Udim State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

In the full results declared on Sunday by the INEC, Senator Chris Ekpenyong of the PDP polled the total of 134,717 votes to emerge winner ahead of the former candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Godswill Akpabio who had earlier in December announced his withdrawal from the race, but 83,820 votes were tied to his name after Saturday's elections.

INEC further declared Atuekong Nsikak Ekong of PDP who polled the total of 45,366 votes the winner of Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/ Obot Akara federal constituency election followed by Elder Emmanuel Akpan with 22,757 votes whose party, the APC, earlier pulled out from the rerun. In the Essien Udim State Constituency election, Barr. Esse Umoh of PDP had 18,999 votes, while Sir Nse Ntuen of APC who had on Friday announced his non-participation in the electoral exercise had 7,108 declared for him by the commission.

The Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Barr. Mike Igini, had announced before  Saturday’s court ordered elections in Essien Udim local government area that polls would be conducted in 219 Polling Units (PUs) in the area, while the State constituency’s supplementary elections would be conducted in 137 units, leaving out the 22 units where results were obtained and preserved.

Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom State APC had earlier decided not to participate in any election conducted by Barr. Mike Igini, the present Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in the state.

 The APC state chairman, Mr. Ini Okopido, while addressing a press conference in Uyo on Friday to announce the official withdrawal of his party from Saturday's rerun elections in Essien Udim local government area, expressed lack of confidence in  the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,  represented by Barr. Igini in the state.

To confirm the alleged bias of the REC against his party, Okopido reminded how over 61,329 votes polled in last year's election by Senator Akpabio was whittled down to 6,241 votes without justification by Barr. Mike Igini. The APC state chairman further noted how  Igini commented publicly that the APC candidates had no business in the election petition tribunals as they were only making noise to attract federal government appointments.

Also speaking on Friday evening during the media briefing, Sir Nse Ntuen, the APC candidate for the Essien Udim State Constituency election, said he polled 47,479 votes in March 9 2019 Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly election  to beat the PDP candidate who trailed him with  6,273 votes. According to him, he  was declared winner by INEC's Returning Officer in Essien Udim,  Prof. Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, but was denied a certificate of return by Mike Igini.

Ntuen pointed out that since the tribunal and the appeal court had confirmed his election, he has no business participating in the polls, noting that the Appeal Court judgment that was passed in his favour did not order him to partake in any further electoral exercise be  it a rerun or supplementary as far as 2019 Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly is concerned.

Sir Nse Ntuen further urged the media and legal practitioners in the state to study the available appellate court judgment in order to confirm that the State House of Assembly election is not legally acceptable.

However, the INEC Public Relation Officer in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Don Etukudoh, has reportedly said the commission would honour the decision of the judiciary should any of the parties approach the court for redress.

©The Sensor Newspaper

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