Godswill Akpabio is no longer the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District after the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal overturned the Federal High Court Abuja’s decision.
On Monday, a three-member judicial panel that was presided over by Justice Danlami Senchi ruled that Akpabio had violated the regulations by failing to submit a proof of arguments in time.
The panel further determined that Akpabio, an APC presidential candidate, was unable to take part in the legitimate party primary that produced Udom Ekpoudom on May 27 and was overseen by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
A Federal High Court in Abuja had on September 22 asked INEC to reinstate Senator Akpabio as APC’s candidate, being the candidate nominated by the party in the second primary of June 9.
The lower court had directed that INEC accepts the former Minister of Niger Delta as the APC flagbearer.
The court also ordered that INEC publish Akpabio’s name as APC senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North/West senatorial district in 2023, stating that the Commission acted illegally by refusing to accept and publish the former governor’s name when it was submitted to it by the APC as its candidate.
Justice Emeka Nwite who delivered judgment held 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 (NWC) on June 9, 2022.
The trial Judge criticized INEC for choosing to monitor the illegal faction of the party led by Augustine Ekanem’s May 27 primary over the authorized June 9 primary conducted by the APC NWC.