The Supreme Court, Friday, affirmed Senator Godswill Akpabio as candidate for the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the February 25 general election.
Akpabio is the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and also an ex-Governor Akwa Ibom Governor.
The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel of Justices, upheld an appeal Akpabio filed to challenge the Court of Appeal judgement that nullified his candidacy.
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In the lead judgement that was read by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, the apex court, held that the appellate court lacked the jurisdiction to meddle in the issue of nomination of candidate for an election, which it said was within the purview of an internal affair of a political party.
The apex court panel resolved 10 issues Akpabio raised before it in his favour and accordingly vacated the November 14, 2022 judgement of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognise Mr. Udom Ekpoudom as the authentic candidate of the APC for the senatorial contest.
Ekpoudom, a retired deputy Inspector General of Police, is said to have won the APC’s primary election held on May 27, 2022, a date Akpabio disputed that the party’s National Working Committee actually held the primary for the Senatorial candidacy on May 28.
