Akpabio Loses Senatorial Seat as Melaye Wins Kogi West

By Okon Bassey in Uyo and Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja

The immediate past Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio was on Saturday defeated during the National Assembly elections.

This is as the senatorial candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West senatorial district at the National Assembly was leading the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Smart Adeyemi according to the result from INEC office in Lokoja.

The PDP senatorial candidate and former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Christopher Ekpenyong reportedly won in all the eight out of 10 local government areas released by INEC.

Only the result of the country home of Senator Akpabio, Essien Udim LGA and that of the neigbouring Ikot Ekpene LGA were still pending.

 Also, the candidates of the PDP that contested the House of Representative elections won in all the eight LGA results released.

 In the senatorial election in Etim Ekpo LGA, PDP – 6,603 votes, APC – 2,671 votes; in Abak LGA, PDP – 10,926 and APC – 9,787; Ika LGA, PDP – 9,257 and APC – 4,152.

In Ukanafun LGA, PDP – 25,952 and APC – 14,452; in Oruk Anam  LGA, PDP – 25,123 and APC – 10,534

PDP polled 13,184 votes, while APC polled 6,229 votes in Obot Akara LGA

PDP polled 7,951 while APC polled 3,083 in Okono LGA; in Ini LGA, APC polled 5,897 votes, while PDP polled 13, 302 votes.

Meanwhile, the senatorial candidate of PDP, Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West senatorial district at the National Assembly was leading the candidate of APC, Senator Smart Adeyemi.

Out of seven local government councils, Melaye won in six local government councils.   Both of them came from Ijumu LGA.

While Adeyemi is from Iyara in Ijumu, Melaye is from Ayetoro-Gbede  also in Ijumu.

In Kabba-Bunu LGA, Adeyemi polled 8,971 votes while Melaye polled 14,756.  PDP scored 11,024 while APC scored 15, 639 in Kogi LGA. In Ijumu, PDP scored  11749,  while APC 8517.  In Lokoja LGA, PDP scored 24,576 while APC 18,800.

 In Yagba West, PDP polled 8,942, while APC scored  6,799; in Mopa, PDP 5,112, while APC scored 3,668 and in Yagba East, PDP scored 8,638, while APC 5,077.

 While Adeyemi polled a total of 67, 471 votes, Senator Melaye scored total votes of 84, 797.