The supreme court has affirmed the election of Godswill
Akpabio as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akwa Ibom
north-west senatorial district.
The former minister was in the race for the party’s
presidential ticket but dropped his bid for another candidate.
Prior to the APC presidential primary, Udom Ekpoudom, former
deputy inspector-general of police (DIG), won the APC primary for Akwa Ibom north-west
senatorial district.
A parallel primary was also conducted and won by Ekperikpe
Ekpo, but was later cancelled over irregularities.
Meanwhile, a rerun reportedly conducted on June 8 was said
to have produced Akpabio as the winner of the exercise.
INEC, however, excluded the APC from its list of candidates
published in June.
Festus Okoye, INEC spokesperson, had said the commission is
not under obligation to publish the names of candidates submitted by political
parties if there are questions over the validity of primaries featuring such
persons.
Consequently, the APC and Akpabio approached the court to
seek redress.
Delivering judgment in September 2022, Emeka Nwite, the
trial judge, held that INEC contravened the law when it refused to accept and
publish Akpabio’s name, despite the fact that the APC had listed him as its
candidate.
Dissatisfied with the trial court’s decision, Ekpoudom went
to the court of appeal.
The court of appeal, in its judgment delivered on November
14, quashed the judgment of the trial court and sacked Akpabio as the candidate
of the party.
Delivering judgment in Akpabio’s appeal on Friday, a
five-member panel of the supreme court held that the issue of candidacy is an
internal party affair and consequently strips the trial court and appellate
court of the jurisdiction to hear the suit.
Akpabio’s 10-ground appeal was allowed.
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