The police in Akwa Ibom State have deployed about 2,000 officers for two rerun legislative elections holding in three local government areas of the state on Saturday.

Besides the deployment of officers, the state police command has also ordered restriction of movements in the three local government areas – Ini, Ikono and Ibiono Ibom – where the exercise will take place.

This is contained in a statement issued on Friday by the police spokesperson in the state, Odiko Macdon.

“For the benefit of doubt, there will be restriction of movement from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the said day in the affected Local Government Areas. Only INEC staff, health workers, and security agents will be exempted.

“The Command is hereby warning perpetrators of violence to steer clear of election venues or face the full wrath of the law,” Mr Macdon, a superintendent of police, said.

Rerun elections

One of the two scheduled rerun elections will be conducted for Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency between Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo, the candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) and Glory Edet of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the 25 February 2023 election in the area inconclusive and fixed 15 April last year for the supplementary election.

The electoral body again cancelled the supplementary election, saying it was marred by violence and ballot box snatching.

The commission later collated results in some polling units where it said the election took place during the supplementary poll and merged them with the results from the 25 February election. Based on the outcome, it declared Mr Ukpong-Udo as the winner.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the exercise, the PDP candidate, Mrs Edet, challenged the decision of the commission and the court ordered a re-run.

The second re-run, which is for the Ibiono Ibom State Constituency in the State House of Assembly, is between Moses Essien of the YPP and the candidate of the PDP in the state, Godwin Ekpo.

INEC had declared Mr Essien as the winner in the 18 March 2023 House of Assembly election for the constituency.

But Mr Ekpo of the PDP challenged the declaration and won at the Court of Appeal, which ordered a re-run.