November 15, (THEWILL) – The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has ordered the removal of Godswill Akpabio’s name as the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for Akwa Ibom North West.
Recall that a Federal High Court in Abuja, on September 22, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to reinstate Akpabio as APC’s candidate for the senatorial district.
Justice Emeka Nwite, who delivered the judgement, held that Akpabio was validly nominated from the primary election conducted by the APC National Working Committee (NWC) on June 9, 2022.
Udom Ekpoudom, former deputy inspector-general of police (DIG), had won the APC primary for the senatorial district held earlier on May 27. Akpabio was at the time, a presidential aspirant of the APC.
But in another primary held on June 9, Akpabio had emerged winner of the APC senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North-West, a victory which the Federal High court affirmed.
Aggrieved by the court’s decision, Ekpoudom challenged the ruling at the court of appeal.
Delivering its judgement on Monday, a three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Danlami Senchi, held that Akpabio, being a presidential aspirant of the APC, could not have participated in the valid primary of the party held on May 27 and monitored by INEC
The court also held that Akpabio failed to file proof of arguments within the time provided by the rules.
It, therefore, ordered INEC to recognise Ekpoudom as the authentic APC candidate for Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district.
