Akpabio had challenged for the presidential ticket of the APC at the party’s National Convention in Abuja this week but later announced that he was stepping down for the eventual winner, Bola Tinubu.

 

Akpabio was one of the ministers who had to resign from the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari for seeking elective offices.

Akpabio on Thursday became the senatorial candidate of the party for Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district after getting 478 votes at the Godswill Akpabio Empowerment Centre in the Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, where the re-run primary was held.

Other aspirants were Sir Joseph Akpan, DIG Ekpo Udom, and Obong Emem Ekperikpe Ekpo.

Ekpo, however, stepped down for Akpapio and called on the delegates loyal to him to vote for the former Akwa Ibom State governor, saying, “I plead with all my delegates to identify with our father, and I return all the delegates to vote for him.

“I don’t think we should do anything to undermine the person God has given to us as a leader. The person is Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio. I call all my delegates once again to support him. With that, I have withdrawn my aspiration to the Senatorial seat,” Ekpo said.