After losing presidential ambition, Akpabio grabs Senate ticket

After losing out on his presidential ambition by stepping down for eventual winner, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary election on Tuesday, former Akwa Ibom State Governor and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has clinched the party’s ticket for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial district.

At the State APC senatorial rerun primary election held on Thursday at the Ikot Ekpene Stadium, Akpabio defeated Sir Joseph Akpan and DIG Ekpo Udom after scoring 478 out of the 512 accredited votes cast.

Akpan got one vote while DIG Udom who had won the first primary held two weeks ago, scored three votes while 11 votes were voided.

The State APC Chairman, Stephen Ntukekpo, who justified the rerun after the earlier primary, said the national secretariat of the party had directed that there should be a re-run due to infractions noticed in the first primary.

Read also:Akpabio dismisses claim he withdrew from presidential race

“There were some infractions in the primaries held about a week ago and I was directed by the National Working Committee to carry out a re-run.

“We have about five aspirants in this exercise. They were all informed and are fully aware. The aspirants are Sir Joseph Akpan, DIG Ekpo Udom, Obong Emem Ekperikpe Ekpo, and Senator Godswill Akpabio,” he said.

Speaking on his victory at a reception held in his honour at the Godswill Akpabio Empowerment Centre in Ikot Ekpene, the former Minister said it was an honour that the people of the senatorial district found him worthy to represent them at the Senate once again.

“I thank the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district for finding me worthy to be given another opportunity to represent you in the Nigerian Senate.

“I recall when you gave me the first mandate in 2015 to 2019, I recall that there is no Senator ever that did the kind of empowerment I did for you.

“I know a lot of projects were done across the ten local government areas, from markets to water projects, to electrification project, to building of classroom blocks,” he stated.

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