Hon. Peter A. Akpanke has emerged victorious in the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary election for the Bekwarra/Obudu/Obanliku Federal Constituency in Cross River State after securing an overwhelming majority of votes cast across the three local government areas.
Primary Election Details
The primary election, conducted over the weekend and monitored by party officials and stakeholders, recorded a total of 18,921 registered APC members and delegates across Bekwarra, Obudu, and Obanliku local government areas. Official results made available to journalists showed that 16,564 valid votes were cast during the exercise, with no void votes recorded.
According to the results announced by the electoral committee, Akpanke polled 14,252 votes to defeat five other aspirants in the keenly contested exercise. His closest challenger, Martin Orim, secured 1,572 votes, while Theresa Akwaji Ushie scored 101 votes. Also in the race were Anthonia A. Ally with 104 votes, Vincent A. Ushie with 270 votes, and Godwin A. Agbor who polled 265 votes.
Results Breakdown
A breakdown of the constituency-wide results showed that Akpanke secured 4,749 votes in Obanliku Local Government Area, 4,886 votes in Obudu Local Government Area, and 4,617 votes in Bekwarra Local Government Area, consolidating his dominance across the constituency.
Official Declaration
Following the conclusion of the collation process, the APC Returning Officer, Edodi Ejekor, formally declared Akpanke winner of the party's House of Representatives primary election for the Bekwarra/Obudu/Obanliku Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Stakeholders, observers, and party officials described the exercise as peaceful, orderly, transparent, and credible, noting that the outcome reflected the will of delegates and party members across the constituency. The primary election was conducted under the supervision of APC electoral officials, with the official collation documents signed and dated May 16, 2026.
