Former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, has lost the rerun election for Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced results on Sunday morning for the election held on Saturday.
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chris Ekpenyong, scored 134,717 votes to defeat Akpabio who polled 83,820 votes.
Akpabio had lost the first election last February to Ekpenyong.
He then filed a petition to the tribunal against the outcome of the election. Following his appointment as minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Akpabio said he was no longer interested in a repeat poll, but INEC rejected a replacement of candidate.
Meanwhile, the PDP also won the rerun elections for the state and federal constituencies in Akwa Ibom.
The elections held in only one local government area – Essien Udim.
The PDP candidate for the Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency election, Nsikak Ekong, scored 45,366 votes, while his closest rival Emmanuel Akpan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 22,757.
For the Essien Udim State Constituency, the PDP candidate, Esse Umoh, scored 18,999 votes, while the APC candidate, Nse Ntuen scored 7,108 votes.
The APC and its candidates for elections into the state and federal constituencies had announced their withdrawal from the poll hours before its commencement.
Giving reasons for his withdrawal, Nse Ntuen, APC candidate for Essien Udim State Constituency election, claimed he won 2019 election and that the Court of Appeal did not order for a rerun election.
Mr Akpan, on his part, said he withdrew from the rerun because he did not trust the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mike Igini, to organise a free and fair election.
