BEVERLY HILLS, February 27, (THEWILL) – A Federal High Court in Uyo has sacked the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East district, Bassey Akpan, from the Senate, noting that Akpan vied for the PDP governorship ticket in the state, and not for the party’s senate ticket.
In a judgment delivered on Monday, the court ruled that Bassey Etim, not Akpan, was the authentic candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2015 senatorial election in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was ordered by the court to immediately issue a certificate of return to Etim, and that the Senate should swear in the former member of the House of Representatives as the senator representing the district.
The court gave Akpan, who is chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, 90 days to refund all the money he has so far received as emoluments from the National Assembly.
Etim had in 2016 taken Senator Akpan, INEC and the PDP to court, claiming that he was wrongly substituted in the primary election of PDP in Akwa Ibom State.
Akpan, on the other hand, had petitioned the National Judicial Council, NJC, seeking the probe of Justice Fatun Riman of the Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom division over allegations of bias, judicial misconduct and arbitrariness.
