Despite pockets of violence during the direct primary, an All Progressives Congress, APC governorship candidate has emerged in Akwa Ibom State to contest the 2019 general elections.
Nsima Udo Ekere, who is the managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, polled 160,458 votes to emerge the overall winner.
Of a total of 167,904 votes, Ekere won in 30 local government areas in the state except Uyo defeating Bassey Dan-Abia with 4,189 votes, James Akpanudoedehe, 2,015 while Dr. Edet Efretuei polled 1,234 votes.
Announcing the results at APC Secretariat, 149 Ikot Ekpene Road, Uyo on Monday, the chairman of the party’s governorship primary election, Mr. Iyama Momoh congratulated the winner on his emergence as the flag-bearer, and stressed the need for him to reconcile with other aggrieved members as a way of healing to ensure the party’s success at the polls.
Addressing journalists later, an elated Ekere commended the panel on the successful conduct of a transparent primary and the electorates for electing him as their governorship candidate.
He, therefore, called on all Akwa Ibom people to join hands with party in electing during the forthcoming elections to enable him to deliver the dividends of democracy to them.
The APC candidate who had earlier been endorsed by some chieftains of the party in the state will square up with Governor Udom Emmanuel, the PDP candidate in the February 2019 elections.