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Senator Godswill Akpabio has officially lost his bid to return to the senate to represent Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district.
The senator, who contested under the All Progressives Congress (APC), lost to Chris Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with a wide margin.
While Ekpenyong scored 136,373 votes, Akpabio, a former gvernor of the state, polled just 67,487 votes.
Newspeakonline had reported how the result of the Akpabio’s local government was withheld unduly even when he had already lost in nine of the 10 local government areas under the senatorial district.
Akpabio’s “uncommon defection” from the PDP took many by surprise. He is widely respected as one of the most influential politicians in Akwa Ibom and in the south-south region.
He resigned his position as the senate minority leader and joined the APC with a large number of supporters from the PDP.