From Joe Effiong, Uyo
The current speaker of Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly Mr Aniekan Bassey, the past National Legal Adviser of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Mr Emmanuel Enoidem, and former Commissioner for Economic Development Dr Ekong Sampson have been nominated as candidates for the three Senatorial seats on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2923 general election.
While Bassey, who is the speaker of Akwa Ibom 8th Assembly clinched the party’s ticket as a candidate for Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) Senatorial District after his opponents withdrew from the party primaries, Enoidem polled a total of 329 votes from 334 accredited delegates across 10 local government areas in the senatorial district to emerge as the flag bearer of PDP in the area.
However, the former Commissioner for Economic Development Dr Ekong Sampson who polled a total 368 votes to win the PDP ticket for Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial District while the member representing Eket Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives Hon Patrick Ifon scored 1 vote as well as Francis Uduyok representing Ikot Abasi , Mkpat Enin and Eastern Obolo federal constituency who scored only 11 votes
The former chief Staff to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Mr Ephraim Inyangeyen said he withdrawn from participating in the exercise in protest of what he described as contempt of court.
“I am in possession of an enrolled order of Court wherein it pronounced that the Peoples Democratic Party which I am a member should maintain status quo ante bellum in a case involving whether or not the contentious issue of ad hoc delegates be used for the election of flag bearers of the party for the forthcoming general elections,” he said
The Eket senatorial district primaries were conducted at Special Protection Unit of Nigeria Police Force Base 27 in Onna council area of the state .
Reacting to his own victory , the candidate for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial (Ikot Ekpene) Enoidem said he was exceedingly happy to have the total votes from the electoral college.
“I’m going to treasure this for the rest of my life. I know I am going to the Senate because nobody who has ever gotten the PDP Senatorial ticket has ever lost and I am not going to break that protocol”, he assured.
He extended an olive branch to his opponents, stating that the PDP is a large family that is big enough to accommodate all.
Other contestants for the Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District) primary included Dr Saviour Enyiekere, Hon Akan Eyo, Mr Odoro Edwin and Chief Inibehe Okori
Meanwhile , one of the contestants for Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District Obong Inibehe Okorie has petitioned the Chairman of PDP National Assembly- Senate Primary Election Committee in Akwa Ibom state, Edward Ayo Odugbesan, alleging non=participation in the exercise in Akwa Ibom State.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Uyo on Monday, Okorie said his refusal to participate in the Senatorial Primary election in the state was predicated on Abuja High court ruling between Hon Friday Iwok, others versus INEC delivered on 18th May 2022 directing the parties to maintain status quo ante pending determination of the substantive suit on ad-hoc delegates election in the state.
But in an interview, the state chairman of the party, Hon Aniekan Akpan said there was no official report received with regards to the conduct of the exercise in the state.
He argued that the state party has carried out all the instructions by the National Working Committee of the party in the adding that the exercise has no flaw in the state.
” In AKwa Ibom state, we work on the directive if National working Committee. Awwa Ibom is PDP and PDP is Akwa Ibom,” Akpan said.
