The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the former Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, as the authentic All Progressives Congress Senatorial candidate for the Akwa Ibom North/West Senatorial district seat.
The court ordered the electoral umpire to accept and publish Akpabio’s name as APC senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North/West senatorial district in 2023.
In a judgment on Thursday, Justice Emeka Nwite held that INEC acted illegally by refusing to accept and publish Akpabio’s name after it was sent by APC.
the judge found that Akpabio was validly nominated as the Akwa–Ibom North/West Senatorial District candidate of the APC from the primary conducted by the party’s National Working Committee on June 9, 2022.
The Judge said INEC “is bound by the provisions of Section 29 (3) of the Electoral Act to publish only the personal particulars of the candidate of the first plaintiff for the Akwa-Iborn North/West Senatorial District elections in the person of the second plaintiff (Akpabio) as received from the first plaintiff.”
He also declared that INEC cannot publish any other name or particulars of any other candidate as candidate of the APC for the Akwa-lbom North/West Senatorial District elections, “except as nominated, submitted and received from the first plaintiff (APC).
Justice Nwite, therefore, ordered INEC to publish the name and particulars of Akpabio as the candidate of the APC for the Akwa-Iborn North/West Senatorial District in the 2023 general elections as nominated and submitted to it by the party.
The judgment was on the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1011/2022 filed and prosecuted for the APC and Akpabio (first and second plaintiffs) by a team of lawyers, which included Chief Umeh Kalu (SAN), Valentine Offia, Imo Akpan and Adekunle Kosoko.
INEC, the sole defendant, was represented by Alhassan Umar, (SAN).