A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, September 15, gave a judgment on the candidacy of Godswill Akpabio ahead of the 2023 general election....CONTINUE READING
During a court proceeding in Abuja, the court ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should recognise Akpabio as the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akwa Ibom North/West senatorial district in 2023.
Justice Emeka Nwite noted that INEC’s refusal to accept and publish Akpabio’s name on its list is illegal.
Akpabio had earlier contested in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries of which he lost to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
After losing out. He resulted in picking the senatorial tickets of the party for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.
However, Udom Ekpoudom had already emerged as candidates after participating in the primaries which were supervised by INEC officials.
Fortunately for Akpabio, the first primary conducted in the zone on May 28, 2022, was cancelled following security infractions during the primary.
A rerun of the primary election was conducted and Mr Akpabio won the rerun poll having polled 478 votes.
But Mike Igini, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Akwa Ibom, said the exercise which produced the former minister as candidate was not monitored by the Commission.
