Senate President Godswill Akpabio has commended Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno for the recent local government elections, despite ongoing disputes over the results.
Akpabio made his remarks during Thursday’s plenary, following the elections held on Sunday. The polls have sparked controversy, particularly in Essien Udim Local Government Area, Akpabio’s home region.
While the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured victories in 30 out of the 31 local government areas, Usoro Effiong of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won in Essien Udim.
However, this result has been challenged by local political figures, including Michael Afangideh, who is viewed as the political leader of Essien Udim.
Afangideh and others contend that the PDP candidate was the true winner, raising questions about the election’s integrity.
In his remarks during the Senate session, Akpabio declared Usoro Effiong as the legitimate winner of the election, emphasizing that he secured a majority of the votes.
“But let me point out that in a quiet moment, the elections were not perfect. The local government elections were not perfect.
“My colleagues are even appreciating the state government for remaining steadfast, realising that it would be impossible for the senate president to lose votes even in his own local government.
“And that for him, some governments would have gone ahead to even announce what they like, saying that he belongs to the federal government and do what he wants there. But that he announced, the APC chairman of my local government only won the elections. That is where the commendation comes from,” Akpabio said.
The senate president said with the declaration of the APC candidate as the winner of his local government it means there is hope for improvement in the electioneering system in the state and the country at large.
“With people like Governor Eno, there is hope. Not that the elections were perfect. I hope you understand that there is hope for us to have a national dialogue with a view to changing the situation.
“And so I actually commend Governor Eno for that. My colleagues have said it was a very uncommon gesture on his part. And then Senator Abba Moro, you started this, you brought this up, and then you had support across party lines,” he said.
Akpabio stressed the need to reposition the local government system of governance.
“Now, the world needs to know that it is not limited to only the PDP states, that the share of local government elections goes beyond party lines. I think that’s the conclusion of the Senate. And that we need for us to do something to reposition the local government as a third tier of government.
“What you are seeing here is that it has never really been a third tier of government. So we commend the Supreme Court of Nigeria for the ruling that the funds of local government should go directly to local governments.
“But then we on our part in the National Assembly must give it, we must take the next step to ensure that the decision that has been so far given by the Supreme Court becomes alive,” the senate president stated.
