Appeal Court Sacks Akpabio As APC Senatorial Candidate
* Akpabio Vows To Challenge A’Court Judgment Nullifying His Senatorial Candidature
THE Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Monday, November 14, nullified the purported election Godswill Akpabio as the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Akwa Ibom North-West District.
The court of declared Udom Ekpoudom as the duly elected candidate of the APC for the Senatorial election.
The appellate court set aside the judgment of a Federal High Court, Abuja, which had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the name of the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs as the APC candidate for the district, as submitted by his party.
Justice Emeka Nwite had ruled that INEC “cannot choose and impose a candidate on a political party.”
The ruling of the appellate court came a few hours after the Federal High Court in Uyo nullified the Akwa Ibom APC governorship primary, a judgment that left members and supporters of the party in the state dazed.
The Federal High Court held that the APC governorship candidate, Akanimo Udofia, was not a member of the party and, therefore, disqualified him from contesting a fresh governorship primary of the party.
The judgment of the three-member panel of Justices, read by Justice Danlami Senchi, held that Akpabio failed to file a proof of arguments within the time provided by the rules.
Ekpoudom, a retired deputy inspector general of Police, was recognised by INEC as the validly elected candidate of the APC for the district, having participated and won the APC primary held on May 27, but the APC leadership, both at the state and national levels, preferred Akpabio as its candidate, after the former minister “won” another senatorial primary that was hurriedly organised by a faction of the party in the state.
However, the appeal court panel ruled that Akpabio, who was a presidential aspirant of the party, could not have participated in the valid primary of the party held on May 27 and monitored by INEC, which produced Ekpoudom as a candidate.
In his reaction, Akpabio vowed to approach the highest court in the land to seek redress and advised his supporters, party members and all his constituents to “remain calm and law-abiding, as they continue their campaigns for the successes of the APC in Akwa Ibom North West, Akwa Ibom State and the Nigeria at large.”
In a statement he personally signed, Akpabio said: “My attention has been drawn to the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal Abuja Division, directing the INEC to delist my name from their list as the APC senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District in the forth coming 2023 elections.
“It is instructive to mention that I was not a party in the said appeal, though Orders were made against me and my interest. Whilst awaiting a copy of the said judgment to be made available to me and any other interested parties, it is important to state that I am a lawyer by training and a law-abiding citizen of this country and I am bound by our laws and judgments emanating from our courts including the one under reference
“My lawyers, on my advice and brief, have commenced the scrutiny of the contents of the judgment as read, for the purposes of seeking appropriate legal redress.
“I am aware that the Supreme Court has the final say in these matters. I, therefore, strongly advise my supporters, APC members and all my constituents to remain calm and law abiding, as they continue their campaigns for the successes of the APC in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria at large.”
