Akpabio pulls out of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial rerun

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has pulled out of the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial rerun election.

The minister who is also the immediate past governor of the state confirmed his decision in a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole.

The Court of Appeal had in November ruled that a rerun election should be held in some parts of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District after Akpabio had challenged the declaration of Ekpenyong as the winner of the February 23 senatorial poll.

In his letter was dated December 2, Akpabio explained that his decision to withdraw from the Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial rerun election was because he could not afford to jettison a critical national assignment, given to him by President Muhammadu Buhari in pursuit of a rerun election.

He, therefore, asked the APC leadership to inform the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of his decision to withdraw, in line with Sections 33 and 35 of the Electoral Act, 2010 and submit a replacement to run in his stead.

He also urged the APC chairman to prevail on the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to redeploy the Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Mike Igini, if free and fair elections must be held in the senatorial district.

INEC has not announced the rerun date in Essien Udim LGA, one of the 10 LGAs, making up the senatorial district. The rerun was ordered by the Court of Appeal in Calabar early November, with INEC given 90 days to hold it.