Akpabio fumes as PDP sweeps Akwa Ibom LG poll

In a decisive victory, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won local government elections across 30 out of 31 councils in Akwa Ibom State, despite protests from opposition leaders, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The results were announced by Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC), following Saturday’s elections.

The only exception was Essien Udim LGA, the hometown of Akpabio, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured a win. Akpabio expressed dissatisfaction with the overwhelming PDP victory, contrasting it with his tenure as Governor (2007-2015), when he claimed to have respected opposition victories.

He recalled instructing the AKISIEC Chairman at the time to declare an opposition win in Ini LGA, a move he highlighted to emphasize his more inclusive approach.

Meanwhile, Hon. Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo of the Young Peoples Party (YPP) labeled the elections as “shambolic,” accusing the ruling PDP of rigging the contest.

He urged his supporters to remain peaceful and refrain from illegal actions, despite what he termed a “corrupt” polling process. In contrast, PDP lawmaker Rt. Hon. Uduak Odudoh dismissed allegations of rigging, attributing the PDP’s success to thorough preparation and effective voter engagement, while criticizing the opposition for being ill-prepared.

The contested results have stirred political tensions, but calls for calm and restraint have echoed across the opposition camps.