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From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
An aspirant for the Cross River Central Senatorial District, Barr. Mary Ekpere, has demanded that she be declared the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election held on Monday.
Ekpere, a former Director-General of the National Centre for Women Development, Abuja (now known as the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development), said her demand was based on the fact that Oden Ibiang Ewa, another aspirant who was declared the winner of the primary, was not cleared by the Senate Screening Committee of the APC, consequently nullifying both his participation and his declaration as winner.
Speaking at a media briefing held in Abuja on Thursday, Ekpere disclosed that she had submitted her petition to the Senate Appeal Committee of the party, with her main prayer being that she be declared the winner of the primary, given that she was the cleared aspirant with the highest number of votes.
According to the results announced by the Returning Officer, Barrister Eyo Nsa Ekpo, following the collation exercise conducted at the Ikom Local Government Area Council Hall, Ewa was declared winner with 32,426 votes. Ekpere secured 991 votes, while the incumbent senator, Eteng Jonah Williams, garnered 726 votes.
She said: “The Screening Committee of the party did not clear Oden Ibiang Ewa. His name appeared on the list of the senatorial aspirants who were not cleared, as announced across official channels of the party. I, therefore, was surprised that the same individual showed up to participate in the primary for which he was declared the winner. I was declared second with 991 votes, while Senator Eteng Jonah Williams was declared as coming third.
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“But I must state that Oden Ewa’s participation and eventual declaration is in breach of APC’s Primary Regulation and Sections 85 and 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 and Sections 71 and 72 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“Owing to the legal and constitutional premise that I have laid, I urge my party to respect the laws of the land and its regulations by nullifying and declaring as void the votes ascribed to Oden Ibiang Ewa, being that he was disqualified from participating in the primary. For justice and the strict adherence to the law and the regulation of our party, I should subsequently be declared the winner of the primary and candidate of the APC for Cross River Central Senatorial District.
“I am a founding member of the APC, who has remained committed to the ideals, progress and unity of the party, and this explains why I promptly resorted to the internal mechanism of resolving an avoidable challenge created by the party allowing a disqualified aspirant to contest in a primary he was not cleared to participate in.”
When asked what her next line of action would be should the appeal committee not accede to her demand, Ekpere expressed confidence that the committee would be fair and objective.
“Based on what I saw when I submitted my petition on Wednesday, I believe that the Appeal Committee will treat my matter based on its merits. But if they don’t, I will consult party leaders, my supporters and constituents on the actions to take. I am running based on calls from the people and they determine my actions and decisions,” Ekpere stated.
