Court of Appeal Disqualifies Godswill Akpabio as APC Senatorial Candidate
The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal has set aside the judgement of Federal High Court Abuja, that recognised Godswill Akpabio as candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.
The judgement of the three-member panel of justices read by Justice Danlami Senchi on Monday, held that Akpabio failed to file a proof of arguments within the time provided by the rules.
The panel further ruled that Akpabio, being a presidential aspirant of the APC, could not participate in the valid primary election of the party held on May 27 and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which produced Udom Ekpoudom as candidate.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had on September 22 asked INEC to reinstate Senator Akpabio as APC’s candidate, being the nominee of the party in the second primary election of June 9.
The lower court had directed that INEC, accepts the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, as the APC Senatorial candidate.
The court also ordered that INEC publishes Akpabio’s name as APC Senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North West in the 2023 election, stating that the Commission acted illegally by refusing to accept and publish his name when it was submitted to it by the APC as its candidate.
Justice Emeka Nwite who delivered judgement held that Akpabio was validly nominated as the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial candidate of the APC from the primary conducted by the party’s National Working Committee, NWC on June 9, 2022.
The trial Judge faulted INEC for electing to monitor the May 27 primary election, conducted by an illegal faction of the party led by Augustine Ekanem as against the June 9 primary authorised and conducted by the APC NWC.
