The Akwa Ibom Local Government Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed 13 petitions filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) against Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates following the October 2024 local government elections. The tribunal upheld the victories of 13 PDP chairmanship candidates across various local government areas in the state.
Addressing journalists in Uyo, the PDP's State Legal Adviser, Ekemini Uba, stated that the petitions were struck out for being filed outside the legally stipulated timeframe. Uba explained that the petitioners based their arguments on electoral laws rather than Akwa Ibom's specific election petition laws, rendering their submissions legally incompetent.
The tribunal sessions, held in Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot Ekpene) and North East (Uyo), reaffirmed the PDP’s dominance in the elections. Uba, accompanied by PDP Publicity Secretary Edwin Ebiese, emphasized that the tribunal dismissed the petitions after determining they lacked merit and were filed improperly.
Uba lauded Governor Umo Eno for promoting political stability in the state, noting his commitment to peaceful governance and reconciliation efforts. "He has shown that elections should not be a do-or-die affair, choosing instead to unify both PDP and APC supporters under a shared vision for Akwa Ibom," Uba concluded.
