Akwa Ibom APC Senate tussle: How Akpabio outsmarted ex-DIG Ekpoudom

By Adeleye Kunle

The confusion over who is the authentic Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Akwa Ibom North West has died down with the release of candidates’ list by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The Commission, in compliance with a court order, listed Senator Godswil Akpabio as the APC candidate.

Track News recalls that it was a smooth sail for a former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udom Ekpoudom, until the immediate past minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Akpabio came into the picture.

The retired DIG had in a primary election held on May 22, clinched the Senatorial District ticket of the APC. The exercise was conducted across the 108 wards in the 10 Local Government Areas of the State.

The exercise was monitored by the electoral umpire, INEC and was conducted by a factional chairman, Augustine Ekanem whom the Appeal Court later removed as the party chairman and made Stephen Ntukepo, the substantive chairman of the party.

Also, Stephen Ntukepo’s faction in its nomination, had Engr Ekperikpe Ekpo as the Senatorial flagbearer, even as Senator Akpabio was busy with his presidential aspiration at the national level, which he later relinquished to Bola Tinubu, the party’s presidential candidate, and ran back to his State (Akwa Ibom) to struggle for a Senatorial ticket