From Joe Effiong, Uyo
THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State has recovered all seats it lost in the House of Assembly.
All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates had challenged the April 11, 2015 elections of Messrs Aniekan Uko, Idongesit Ntekpere, Aniefiok Akpan and Effiong Bassey as members representing Ibesikpo Asutan, Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara, Etinan and Oron/Udung Uko state constituencies respectively.
The Appeal Court had granted the appeal of the APC candidate for Itu State Constituency, Mr. Idongesit Ekpanya, that results of some polling units alloted to the PDP candidate, Mr. Idongesit Ituen, be annulled.
But, in a re-run election last Saturday, all the five PDP candidates who had since December 2015 vacated their seats, except Ituen, whose election was not completely annulled, were overwhelmingly re-elected to return to the assembly.
Uko, who until the nullification of his election, was the speaker of the assembly, polled 10, 228 votes to beat his closest rival, Mr. Gabriel Akpan of APC, who polled 1, 955 votes. Bassey, who was also the deputy speaker before he was sacked, polled 7, 628 votes as against his closest opponent, Victor Okon, who had ironically withdrawn from the race and resigned from APC on the eve of the re-run.
Ntekpere, of the PDP beat his APC rival, Augustine Mbeh by 23,900 votes to 2,428 votes. Aniefiok Akpan of Etinan state constituency secured his return to the house by trouncing his APC opponent, Mr. Unyime Ekwere, a journalist with the Global Concord newspaper, 10, 977 votes against 1,780 votes.
Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Gabriel Ada, in a statement made available to Daily Sun yesterday said “the March 12 re-run elections in Akwa Ibom State were successfully completed and winners have
