A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to accept the former Akwa Ibom Governor, Godswill Akpabio as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akwa Ibom North/West senatorial election.
Justice Emeka Nwite, in a judgment on Thursday, declared INEC’s position on the Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs is illegal.
According to the Judge, INEC had no reason to reject Akpabio since his name was sent to it by the APC as its candidate.
Justice Nwite added that Akpabio was validly nominated as the Akwa – Ibom Northwest Senatorial District candidate of the APC from the primary conducted by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on June 9, 2022.
He 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 Northwest Senatorial District elections in the person of the second plaintiff (Akpabio) as received from the first plaintiff.
The judge also declared that INEC cannot publish any other name or particulars of any other candidate as the candidate of the APC for the Akwa – Ibom North/West Senatorial District elections, except as nominated, submitted and received from the APC.
He further 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 APC.
Recalls that the INEC had omitted the names of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Godswill Akpabio from its published lists, saying they did not participate in the primary elections.
Despite efforts by the ruling party to cede the tickets to Lawan and Akpabio, INEC, on July 9, insisted that Bashir Machina and Udom Ekpoudom remain the APC senatorial candidates for the districts.
