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.
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.
