See What Supreme Court Just Did To Akpabio’s Status As APC’s Candidate For Akwa Ibom North

See What Supreme Court Just Did To Akpabio’s Status As APC’s Candidate For Akwa Ibom North

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The Supreme Court has reinstated former Akwa Ibom State Governor Godwin Akpabio as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North Senatorial District.

The Court of Appeal decision voiding his candidacy, delivered on November 14, 2022, was overturned.

The apex court upheld the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which issued a verdict in favor of the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs in September last year, in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa.

After reviewing Akpabio’s arguments, Justice Saulawa determined that his appeal was meritorious and granted it.

Justice Saulawa ruled in the lead judgment that the “appeal succeeds on merit and is allowed.”

The decision was based on Akpabio’s appeal of the Court of Appeal Abuja’s decision, which overturned his victory at the Federal High Court Abuja.

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In reaching its decision, the Supreme Court stated unanimously that each of the ten issues raised by the appellant was resolved in his favor and against the respondent.

The Supreme Court ruled that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, and that any decision reached by the court was null and void.

It should be noted that on November 14, 2022, the Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had removed Akpabio as the APC candidate for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.

A three-judge panel led by Justice Danlami Senchi ruled that Akpabio failed to file a proof of arguments within the time allowed by the rules.

The panel also ruled that because Akpabio had contested the APC’s presidential primary, he could not participate in the party’s valid primary held on May 27 and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which produced Udom Ekpoudom as a candidate.

However, on September 22, 2022, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the INEC to reinstate Akpabio as the APC’s candidate, having been nominated by the party in the party’s second primary on June 9.

The trial court had ordered INEC to accept the former Niger Delta Minister as the APC flagbearer.

In addition, Justice Nwite directed INEC to publish Akpabio’s name as the APC senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North/West senatorial district in 2023, claiming 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 Nwite also stated that Akpabio was validly nominated by the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) as the Akwa Ibom North/West Senatorial District candidate on June 9, 2022.

The trial Judge chastised INEC for choosing to monitor an illegal faction of the party led by Augustine Ekanem’s May 27 primary over the APC NWC’s June 9 primary.

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