For a long time, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has struggled to maintain two Senate tickets in Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom State after the Saturday’s Presidential/National Assembly election.
Senator Godswill Akpabio of All Progressives Congress (APC) grabbed Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial ticket, a position being maintained by a PDP member.
Akpabio is a one-time Senate Minority Leader, former Akwa Ibom Governor and the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
Ekong Sampson and Aniekan Bassey Etim are the PDP Senators-elect from the state to join the Red Chambers.
From Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, Dr. Ekong Sampson, a former Commissioner and House of Assembly member and Aniekan Bassey, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly who were candidates of the party for Akwa Ibom South and North-East Senatorial Districts.
Ekong Sampson of Democratic Party (PDP) polled 79,327 votes to floor Ephraim Inyangeyen of Young Progressives Party (YPP) who got 19,336 votes while Martin Udoinyang, a former Commissioner of APC polled 33,256 votes.
Ekong, a journalist and a lawyer, hails from Ikot Ekpe in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area. He holds PH.d in Law from the prestigious University of Uyo.
A one-time Commissioner for Environment and Petroleum Resources, he was a two-term member who spoke for the people of Mkpat Enin State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and a Senior Legislative Assistant to Senator Udoma Udoma, among other positions.
For Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey Etim got 98,634 votes to send Dr. Emaeyak Ukpong, a former House of Representatives member of APC got 43,204 votes and Rt. Hon. Usen Akpabio of Young Progressives Party (YPP) who scored 37,679 votes packing.
![Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey Etim - Senator-elect](https://straightnewsng.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG-20220406-WA0155-1-242x300.webp)
He is the current Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, Sampson has thanked his electorate for the mandate given him to represent them in the Senate.