•••Polls 478 votes to defeat two other aspirants
Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday emerged All Progressives Congress (APC), candidate for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.
Akpabio, a former presidential aspirant, who stepped down for the eventual presidential candidate of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu, was also in Senate before he was appointed Minister by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
His media aide, Jackson Udom, revealed in a statement that the former Minister, at the Senatorial Primaries which held at the Skill Acquisition Centre, Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, polled 478 votes to defeat Retired DIG Udom Ekpo Udom, who polled 3 votes, while Engineer Joseph Akpan had just 1 vote.
Earlier, the state chairman of the party, Obong Stephen Ntukekpo, informed party delegates that the fresh election was ordered by the NWC of the party as a result of the cancellation of the last Primaries which took place on the 28th May, 2022, due to security infractions by some hoodlums.
Four aspirants were billed to take part in the rescheduled election, namely; Senator Godswill Akpabio, former member House of Representatives, Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo, DIG Udom Ekpo Udom and Engineer Joseph Akpan.
Before the commencement of voting, former member House of Representatives, Hon Ekpo, announced his voluntary withdrawal from the race and urged all his delegates to cast their votes for Senator Akpabio, whom he described as his leader and mentor.
Addressing the delegates, Senator Akpabio thanked the delegates for trooping out in their hundreds to cast their votes for him, assuring them that his return to the Senate in 2023, will bring in more infrastructural development, human capital development and youth and women empowerment.
Announcing the result which was witnessed by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police and other relevant agencies, the Returning Officer, Mrs Bunmi Imolehin, declared that total registered delegates were 540 but only 512 delegates were accredited, while 11 votes were voided.