Presidential polls: PDP wins in Akwa Ibom

The final results of last Saturday’s presidential polls in
Akwa Ibom State have been officially declared.
The Returning Officer, Professor Ekpoke announced the
final results about 2.30 pm Monday in the INEC
Conference center in Uyo, the State capital.
The returning officer gave the total number of
registered voters in the state as 1,644,481 while the
number accredited by INEC to vote in the elections
stood 1,074,070.

Parties and their scores as announced by the Returning
Officer were: AA – 1,600, AD – 443, ACPN- 474, ADC-
608, APA- 384, APC- 58,411, CPP- 412, HDP- 194,
KOWA- 160, NCP- 381, PDP- 953,304, PDM-327, UDP-
224 and UPP-144.
The returning officer put the total number of valid
votes cast in the polls at 1,027,064, total rejected votes
at 11,487 while total votes cast stood at 1,028,551.
The APC representative at the result announcement,
Mr. Ekong Ebienang refused to sign the final result
sheet.
He said his Party refused to sign because the result was
found to be fundamentally flawed right from the fields.
He added that APC will take official position regarding
the election and the result as announced.
However, the State PDP Chairman, Obong Paul Ekpo
who spoke at the end of the announcement thanked
the Akwa Ibom people and indeed Nigerians for
ensuring that the election was conducted in a peaceful
atmosphere.
He declared that the Presidential election was free and
fair and the result as announced, a true reflection of
the wishes of the people.
On APC‘s allegation that the election was fundamentally
flawed from the fields, Obong Paul Ekpo countered.
He
said:” I wonder why APC is making noise, the Party is
non- existence in Akwa Ibom, they should rejoice that
they had up to 50,000 votes.”
Obong Ekpo further added that PDP in the State will
investigate the results credited to APC because they are
not suppose to have that much as the Party is not
visible in Akwa Ibom.
Also speaking, another PDP Chieftain and State
Commissioner for Special Duties, Barr. Emmanuel
Enoidem said the election went generally well though
the Card Reader Machine brought in by INEC almost
marred the process.
He faulted INEC for bringing in the machine without
adequate technological knowledge.
Enoidem said he had challenges being accredited by the
Card reader and this also affected a lot others.
He cautioned INEC against using these faulty machines
in the remaining elections so as not to cause serious
problems for the people.