Bye-election: APC wins Ogoja Yala, Akure North/South federal constituencies, as PDP claims Akpabuyo

[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]

Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Chief Jude Ngaji of the All Proressives Congress (APC) as winner of last Saturday’s Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency bye-election in Cross River State.

The APC candidate was declared winner by the returning officer for the election and current chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Calabar Chapter Dr. John Edor.

Details of the result shows that the APC candidate polled 22,778 while the candidate of the PDP Mike Usibe came second with 20, 590 votes.

Other results show that Ongro Rock of the APM polled 135 votes, Raphael Okacha of the APP polled 75 votes while Ogonyi Joseph of the PRP polled 65 votes.

Meanwhile, Hon. (Dr) Edet Ekeng Effiom of the PDP has won the last Saturday’s Akpabuyo State Constituency bye-election.

Hon. Effiom was declared the winner on Saturday after polling a total of 5867 votes with a 503-vote difference. He won in 7 out of the 10 wards in the Akpabuyo State Constituency.

Declaring Edet winner, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Returning Officer for Akpabuyo State Constituency By-election said: “Edet Ekeng Effiom of PDP has 5,866 votes. Thus, Edet Ekeng Effiom of PDD, having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected”.

Edet as the winner of the election will now represent the people of Akpabuyo State Constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly who have been without representatives since October 26, 2021.

Late Hon. Elizabeth Ironbar, former Member of the Constituency died last October 26, 2021, after a brief illness and was buried on Friday, February 25, 2022.

Reacting to the results, Chairman of the PDP in the state Venatius Ikem said they will study the results and take a position.

However the chairman of APC Alphonsus Eba said though they won one and lost one, they won the most important one.

Meanwhile, at the Akure South and Akure North Constituency bye-election in Ondo state, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mayokun Lawson-Alade is set to clinch the House of Representatives seat, with one result yet to be announced.

Lawson-Alade narrowly leads his closest rival from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  Muyiwa Adu, according to unofficial results collated in the 23 wards of the two local governments.

According to INEC result portal, 407 of the 408 results from polling units have been uploaded.

The seat became vacant in August 2021, following the death of Adebayo Omolafe.