Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize and publish the name of the Minister of Niger Delta Godswill Akpabio, as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District in 2023 election.
In a judgement on Thursday, Justice Nwite held that INEC acted illegally for refusing to accept and publish Akpabio’s name even when it was sent to it by the APC as its candidate.
Recall that INEC had omitted the names of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs 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.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.