Akpabio Wins A'Ibom Re-run Primary

  Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, has been declared gubernatorial flag-bearer of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State following a fresh election that was ordered by the National Working Committee of the party.
 The national secretariat of the party had called for a fresh vote following reports that some aspirants, who received late clearance from the screening panel for the gubernatorial primary election in Akwa Ibom State, were unable to participate in the exercise conducted on January 9.

 According to the result announced by Chairman of the election panel, Chief P. C. Agu, in Uyo Township Stadium, venue of the exercise, Akpabio polled 1,272 votes.  His opponents Hon. Imo Udo scored one vote while Mr. Frank Okon had none. Chief Agu had earlier praised the delegates for conducting themselves peacefully throughout the accreditation and voting processes.

In his acceptance speech, Akpabio thanked the delegates for their patience and resilience in reaffirming their support for him to fly the flag of the party as their candidate. He said he was happy that the miracle Nigerians had witnessed at the Eagles Square in Abuja where the delegates from the state gave President Goodluck Jonathan a 100 percent of their votes, had repeated itself in the fresh primary.

The Governor, who said  there was no victor and no vanquished, also extended a hand of fellowship to his opponents in the contest. According to him, “I want to thank my brother Frank Okon who just came back from Dubai to contribute to the development of the state. I also want to thank Imo Udo, my former colleague in the cabinet in 2002. In this contest there is no victor, no vanquished. I open the doors of dialogue with them and ask them to join me to see that the PDP continues in power in Akwa Ibom State,” he said.