APC, YPP reject results of Akwa Ibom governorship election

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Young Progressives Party (YPP) have rejected the results of the governorship election in Akwa Ibom State.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Umo Eno, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner of the 18 March governorship election.

Mr Eno polled 354, 348 votes to defeat the YPP candidate, Bassey Albert, and the APC candidate, Akanimo Udofia.

The YPP candidate, Mr Albert, came second with 136, 262 votes, while his APC rival, Mr Udofia, came third after polling 129, 602 votes.

YPP agent at the collation centre in Uyo, the state capital, Kelvin Umoh, declined to append his signature to the result sheet. Faulting the outcome of the election, he alleged that the exercise was conducted at people’s houses in three Local Government Areas – Ini, Itu and Uyo.

He said his party would challenge the outcome of the election in court.

“I will not append my signature on this piece of paper for the blood of the people that have been shed in Ibiono Ibom. They are our party faithful so appending my signature will amount to abuse over their deaths because it calls for justice.”

He also said that some of his party agents were chased out of the ward collation centres.

READ ALSO: Kwara APC faction joins YPPHe said the results of the election “grossly violate and outrightly negate what our unit agents have transmitted to our situation room and therefore it would be a travesty of injustice for me to append my signature on what has happened here”.

Similarly, APC agent and former federal lawmaker, Ekperikpo Ekpo, said his party had called for the cancellation of the election in his Local Government Area – Ika.

Mr Ekpo said the results from some polling units where the election was disrupted and materials destroyed were recorded in the final result sheet.

“Election is all about representing people. Are we sure that what we are doing today is the reflection of the wishes of the people across Akwa Ibom State or we are just doing the normal rituals about result collation?”

Rejecting the outcome of the election, he said the conduct of the election “calls for cancellation.”

Share this:TwitterFacebookWhatsAppTelegramLinkedInEmailPrint