The Akwa Ibom governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday ordered INEC to conduct a fresh election in 18 local government areas out of the 31 local government areas in the state.
Some of the local government areas where a fresh election will be conducted include Etim Ekpo, Uyo, Ibesikpo, Uruan, Nsit Ibom, Nsit Atai, Eket, and Ini.
The tribunal held that Umana Umana, candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), who is challenging Udom’s victory in the April 11 election, could not prove his case against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the second respondent in the suit, and therefore the presumption of regularity is in favour of the commission.
INEC had declared Emmanuel Udom as the winner of the April 11 governorship election in Akwa Ibom state.
In a response to the judgement, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it will make an appeal.
