The immediate past governor of Cross River state and stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Liyel Imoke, has congratulated the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Alex Egbonna, who defeated John Gaul Lebo of the PDP in last Saturday’s House of Representatives rerun election in Ekureku 1 and II wards of the state.
The state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Dr Alalibo Johnson, who announced the result on Sunday morning, had said that the APC candidate, Egbona, scored 29,716 votes while Lebo secured 26,039 votes.
Egbonna defeated 12 others, including PDP’s Lebo, to emerge winner.
While declaring Egbonna as the winner of the election, Johnson explained that due to violence, the electoral body had cancelled election in Afafanyi/Igonigoni ward, made up of eight polling units with combined total of 5,616 registered voters.
The REC also declared Mr Davies Etta of the PDP as winner of Abi constituency seat in the state House of Assembly which was also under contention.
The PDP candidate scored 13, 349 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Mr Eyeng Iwara of the APC who garnered 8, 792 votes.
Our reporter gathered that during the tension-soaked polls, gunmen had kidnapped INEC officials, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, a police man and carted away election materials in Afafayin/Igonogoni Ward. Although those kidnapped were later released, INEC said it had to cancel the poll in the area.
However, in a statement personally signed by him and issued Sunday, former governor Imoke, who also congratulated Dr Davis Etta of the PDP for emerging winner of the re-run election for Abi state constituency said “through the course of this season, as is always the case, tensions were perceived to be high. Ultimately the elections were peaceful.”
He commended both the politicians and electorate “for the maturity exhibited through this election season. Now that elections are over and I believe the better politicians won, we must all sheath our swords and unite for our common good.”
