Akwa Ibom APC Senate Ticket: Suit Challenging Akpabio’s Nomination Dismissed

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, dismissed the suit filed by Udom Ekpoudom challenging  the nomination of Senator Godswill Akpabio’s name to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s candidate for the Akwa Ibom North West Senate seat in the 2023 general elections.

Delivering judgment, Justice Donatus Okorowo, held that the  plaintiff’s action was not justiciable, hence, the suit was incompetent.

Justice Okorowo, who said that the matter bordered on the internal affairs of a party, held that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ekpoudom, a retired DIG, was the plaintiff in the case.

He had sued the APC and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio as 1st and 2nd defendants in the suit.

The lawsuit followed the emergence of Akpabio as the party’s candidate in the APC re-run primary poll held on June 8.

The state’s APC Chairman, Stephen Ntukekpo, had said he was directed by the party at the national level to carry out a re-run over alleged infractions in which Akapbio had emerged winner with 478 votes, while Ekpoudom got just three votes.

NAN reports that in the earlier primary conducted on May 27 in the state, Ekpoudom won the poll though the ex-minister did not contest, having vied for the APC’s presidential election in which Bola Tinubu emerged the winner.

Although INEC had recognised Ekpoudom as the APC candidate for the senatorial district for the 2023 election, the APC submitted Akpabio’s name as its candidate.

The APC insisted on Akpabio as its candidate, a situation which prompted Ekpoudom to challenge the party in court.

Ekpoudom, in the suit dismissed , said he duly participated in the Akwa Ibom North West APC Senate Seat primary election held on May 27 and monitored by INEC in line with the 2023 election timetable and guidelines of the APC, won the poll but that Akpabio’s name was submitted to INEC.

He prayed the court to recognise him as the duly elected candidate of the party.

NAN reports that a brother  judge in the FHC, Abuja, Justice Emeka Nwite, had, on Sept. 15, ordered the INEC to accept and publish Akpabio’s name as the candidate of the APC for the 2023 Akwa Ibom North/West Senatorial District election.

Nwite, in a judgment, held that INEC’s refusal to accept and publish the name of the ex-minister was in contradiction with the law, having received the name from the APC as its valid candidate.

NAN reports that Akpabio’s name was among in the final list of national assembly candidates for the 2023 released by the electoral umpire on Tuesday.

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