Ikono/Ini: Court Of Appeal Okays Tribunal’s Voiding Of Ukpong-Udo’s Poll Win

An Appeal Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has upheld the judgment of the election petition tribunal that nullified the election of Honourable Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo, a member representing Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State in the House of Representatives.

Justice Abba Mohammed in his judgement declared that the declaration and return of Ukpong-Udo by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was done in violation of clear provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of Election 2022 and Manual for Election Officials 2023.

The tribunal had also ordered a supplementary election in the polling units where the election was not held in Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency. Election is to be conducted in 33 polling units in Ikono/ Ini Federal Constituency to determine the winner of the election in the Federal Constituency.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Hon. Emmanuel Ukpong-udo of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) as the winner of the February 25 House of Representatives election conducted in Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State.

The returning officer for the Constituency, Patrick Aderorho, made the announcement at the Constituency Collation office, in the presence of collation agents of political parties and stakeholders.
Ukpong-udo secured 19,926 votes, defeating the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr Glory Edet, who got 15,765 votes.

INEC, however, declared the election as inconclusive and rescheduled a supplementary election in certain polling units, following issues of violence, a position the court held is contrary to the Electoral Act.

More violence was met at the supplementary election, forcing INEC to cancel the election. The electoral body however declared the YPP candidate winner almost a month later.

Unhappy with the declaration, the PDP candidate, Glory Edet through her counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Uwemedimo Nwoko, approached the tribunal seeking the invalidation of the return of Ukpong-Udo.