There’s tension in Akwa Ibom after the State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress who scored 686 votes as the winner of Senate President, Godswill Akpabio’s LG, Essien Udim LG, in the Saturday’s LG polls against the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party who scored 55,612 votes.
At the end of the voting exercise, Inyang Ating, a professor from the University of Uyo who served as the Returning Officer (RO) for Essien Udim LG, declared Enobong Patrick Friday of the PDP the winner, when announcing the results on Saturday.
However, a different result was released on Sunday during the statewide results announcement.
Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, the Chairman of AKISIEC, who was announcing the statewide results declared Ntiedo Usoro of the APC as the elected candidate for Essien Udim LG, while the PDP he said won the rest of the LG in the state.
Curiously, the AKISIEC results did not disclose the specific vote counts for each candidate, as earlier declared by the Returning Officer, which indicated that the PDP’s Enobong Patrick Friday secured a staggering 55,612 votes, defeating his closest rival, APC’s Ntiedo Usoro, who scored only 686 votes.
In his official declaration of results note as he announced, Prof. Ating stated, “I hereby certify that I was the Returning Officer for the election held on the 5th of October 2024. The election was contested, and the candidates received the following votes:
Hon. Ntiedo Usoro of the APC: 686 votes
Engr. Enobong Patrick Friday of the PDP: 55,612 votes
“Engr. Enobong Patrick Friday, having complied with the requirements of the law and having scored the majority of votes, is hereby declared elected. He also received more than 25% of the votes in all 13 wards of Essien Udim. I so declare and I hereby sign as the Returning Officer.”
The AKISIEC Chairman, who was at the headquarters of the commission in Uyo presenting Certificates of Return to the newly elected chairmen, did not explain why and when the result was changed.
It has elicited condemnation with many PDP stakeholders and supporters especially the supporters of the winner protesting that they will not accept the result.
Accusing fingers are being pointed at the direction of the Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, that he is interested in sacrificing the will of the people for an individual, Akpabio, in order to foster cordial political relationship.