Akpabio Narrowly Loses Petition

Senator Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday narrowly lost his bid to invalidate the election of Senator Chris Ekpenyong as senator representing Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial District.

It was the only election that Akpabio had lost of the four elections he had participated in since he joined the political fray since the beginning of the millennium.

Akpabio who contested as the incumbent but having defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC had petitioned the tribunal alleging substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act as the ground of the petition. He had also submitted in his petition that he had the majority of lawful votes and should as such be declared the winner of the election.

In the majority judgment of the Justice W.O. Akanbi led tribunal, the panel averred that Akpabio did not in any way prove that there was no compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act having failed to call witnesses at the polling centres to prove his case.

The tribunal also as such averred that Akpabio did not prove that he won the majority of lawful votes to be declared the winner of the election.

The panel by a 2-1 majority thus upheld the election of Senator Ekpenyong as senator representing Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial District.

The case had turned into an academic routine for Akpabio, the immediate past governor of the state following his inauguration as minister of Niger Delta Affairs as he appeared to be focused on removing his former PDP stalwart, Senator Ekpenyong from the Senate.

The former governor is yet to speak on whether he would pursue his case to the Court of Appeal.

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