PDP And APC Share Victories In Akwa Ibom LG Election

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opposition, All Progressives Congress, APC, have shared victories in Saturday’s local government elections which took place in Akwa Ibom State.
The Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC), Aniedi Ikoiwak, who announced the results of the local government election at the commission’s office on Udo Udoma Avenue on Sunday said the PDP won 30 out of the 31 local government areas in the state while the APC won in one.
Didactic Information Hut reports that the APC managed to secure victory only in Essien Udim, the local government area of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Some Political Analysts said the victory of the APC in the Senate President’s LGA may be a political compensation to oil his political ego.
Also, the PDP won the majority of the councillorship seats across the state, indicating its strong grip and presence in the State.
Meanwhile, the APC has rejected the results of the election, claiming that the process was marred by widespread rigging, violence, and theft of materials by the PDP.
The state publicity secretary of APC, OtoAbasi Udo, while addressing newsmen accused AKISIEC of compromising the integrity and credibility of the election in favour of the PDP.
“Yesterday, 5 October 2024, Local Government Elections to usher in new elected executive chairmen and councilors were conducted by AKISIEC (Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission), the tenure of the exiting chairmen and councillors having since come to an end by effluxion of time.
“AKISIEC just like any other SIEC in Nigeria is controlled and managed by the State Government. To that extent, there is a perceived and real influence of the electoral umpire by the State Government.
“And to that extent, the obvious result would be tilted in favour of the ruling party in the State. Therefore, what we saw and experienced yesterday was a manifestation of such influence beginning with acute shortages of election materials which disenfranchised quite a number of accredited voters, and actions of financial inducements on voters by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the State.
“In spite of the above and more, the teeming supporters of our great Party, the All Progressives Congress, and APC in the State, all came out to support our candidates on the ballot.
“The Party, ably led by Obong Stephen Leo Ntukekpo, uses this opportunity to express her sincere thanks and appreciation to you all for your tireless, steadfast, unalloyed support and commitment to the Party and assure you that with the Supreme Court judgment that returned full autonomy to the third tier of government, the local government, enshrined in our constitution and the steps taken by the National Assembly to give full effect to the judgment, from the next local government election, all SIECs in charge of local government elections now, would have been dismantled, incapacitated and laid to rest and a bright prospect for future local government elections firmly put in place,” the press release reads in parts.