Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, will not be going for the forthcoming Akwa Ibom North West senatorial rerun election.
Akpabio made this known via a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole.
He said the decision was due to huge responsibility now placed on him as Minister.
He said he cannot afford to jettison a critical national assignment given to him by President Muhammadu Buhari in pursuit of a rerun election.
He urged the party to inform the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is his withdrawal from the race in line with Sections 33 and 35 of the Electoral Act, 2010, and submit a replacement to run in his stead.
It could be recalled that a Court of Appeal, in November ruled that a rerun election should be held in some parts of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.
Akpabio had challenged the declaration of Senator Chris Ekpenyong, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the February 23rd election.
Akpabio in the letter urged the national chairman of APC to prevail on the chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, to redeploy the State Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Mike Igini, to allow for a free and fair rerun elections.
Akpabio in the letter dated 2nd of December, 2019, said: “I wish to recall that I was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District Election held on the 23rd day of February, 2019.
