Akanimo Kufre
INEC has declared Akwa Ibom State incumbent governor, Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel winner of the Sat 9th March governorship election.
Making the declaration about 12:25am Monday morning, the returning officer, Prof. Osase Oruese, Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, announced Gov. Udom Emmanuel of PDP as elected with 519,712 votes.
His closest rival Mr Nsima Ekere of APC scored 171,978 votes from a total of 720,064 INEC accredited voters.
Udom won his second term in office from 30 local government areas loosing only in Essien Udim LGA home town of former governor, now Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The Essien Udim result delayed INEC declaration until about 11:30pm Sunday night. Election results were accepted from 2 out of 11 Wards due election irregularities and violence including threat to lives of INEC personnel.
Gov Udom Emmanuel surprisingly won in Ikot Abasi home of his closest contender, Mr Nsima Ekere. The former NDDC boss was expected to win at least in his local government area despite PDP dominance right from the presidential election held in February 23rd.
In his thank you message to Akwa Ibomites, Gov Emmanuel thank God for his grace and the people for their support. The governor also call on all the to change their minds in line with his Dakkada philosophy.
“We have all we need to be great, the mind-set of our people have been changed, thanks to our Dakkada philosophy, we have great talents and a propelling desire to be successful. Our youths are embracing an ownership culture and the need to use the works of their hands and their creative instincts to create wealth for themselves.”
“Like Abraham Lincoln, I promised to run a government “with malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right.” I promise you I will run a government with “malice toward none, with charity for all.”
God bless Akwa Abasi Ibom State, God bless our nation, and it is well with us all! ONLY GOD!
