Joe Effiong, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State governor and the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Udom Emmanuel, has gone into early lead in the governorship election results declared so far by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Emmanuel has far won in all 13 local government areas declared so far, including Ikot Abasi, which is his opponent, Nsima Ekere’s home local government.
He has won in Abak, Uyo, Ikot Abasi, where he comes from, Urueffong Uruko, Ini, Ibeno, Esit Eket, Uruan, Okobo, Nsit Atai, Nsit Ubium, Onna and Obot Akara.
Like in the presidential and National Assembly elections, the APC governorship candidate failed to deliver in his local government area.
The results announced by Dr Edwin Essien, the returning officer for that local government, Ekere was only able to poll 7,549 against Emmanuel’s 9,335 votes of the 17,469 valid votes recorded in the area.
But the local government has the highest number of polling units where elections were cancelled due to what the returning officer said was as a result of violence and ballot-box snatching.
Conversely, Emmanuel cleared his Onna local government effortlessly by polling 32,103 votes against his APC opponent who could only managed 2,110 votes.