#NigeriaDecides2023: PDP wins House of Reps election in YPP stronghold in Akwa Ibom

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ime Okon, has won Saturday’s election for the Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency in Akwa Ibom State.

Mr Okon scored 14,164 votes to defeat his closest rival, Udofia Edet of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), who scored 13,136 votes.

Uwemedimo Umoh of the All Progressives Congress scored 5,303, the third highest votes in the keenly contested election, while Adams Effiong of the Labour Party scored 2,809 votes.

Other parties had the following votes: Accord, 58; Action Alliance, 50; African Democratic Congress, 215; African Democratic Party, 102; All Progressives Grand Alliance, 58; Allied Peoples Movement, 156; New Nigerian Peoples Party, 882; National Rescue Movement, 72; Social Democratic Party, 180; Zenith Labour Party, 356.

Victor Ebong, a professor and the returning officer in the election, declared Mr Okon, a former state lawmaker, as the winner of the election having scored the highest number of votes cast.

The declaration was done on Sunday afternoon at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Ntiat Itam in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Although the PDP won the Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency in 2019, the area is considered a stronghold of the YPP since the party’s governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom, Bassey Albert, who is a senator, is from the constituency.

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The YPP, considered a major threat to the PDP dominance in Akwa Ibom politics, is expected to spring some surprises in Saturday’s elections when all the results in the state would have been announced.

Mr Okon, the winner of the Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency election, had the backing of the Commissioner of Information and Strategy in the state, Ini Emembong, among other PDP chieftains in the area.