Court of Appeal Sacks Akwa Ibom Rep, Orders Rerun

The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Wednesday, nullified the election of Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo as the member representing Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State in the House of Representatives.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had, after a supplementary election in the constituency, declared Ukpong-Udo of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, winner of the February 25 elections.

His victory was, however, challenged by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Glory Edet.

The Akwa Ibom State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal subsequently sacked the YPP candidate and ordered a rerun.

Not satisfied with the verdict, Ukpong-Udo approached the Appeal Court seeking to set aside the ruling of the tribunal.

But ruling on the matter on Wednesday, a panel of the Court of Appeal led by Justice Abba Mohammed upheld the tribunal’s verdict, ordering a rerun.

It is, however, unclear if the rerun was ordered in the entire federal constituency or in the polling units where INEC had declared the results as inconclusive.