Ahead of the 2023 general elections, a Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept and publish the name of the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio as the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in North/West Senatorial District.
In a judgement on Thursday, Justice Emeka Nwite, held that INEC’s refusal to accept and publish Akpabio’s name was in contradiction with the law, having received the name from the APC as its valid candidate, NAN reports.
In the suit filed before the court, the APC and Akpabio are 1st and 2nd plaintiffs respectively while INEC is the sole defendant.
The presiding judge who said that the electoral umpire acted illegally, said the commission lacked power to have disqualified the 2nd plaintiff.
“I hereby declared that the defendant (INEC) publish the name of the 2nd plaintifff as the authentic candidate,” he said.
Recall that Udom Ekpoudom had emerged as APC’s candidate in the primary alleged to have been supervised by INEC officials in the constituency.
However, the party submitted the name of the Akpabio in his place.
INEC maintained that the name of the former Senator submitted by the party remained invalid until the party followed due process.
INEC spokesperson, Festus Okoye, in an interview, however, said that the commission rejected the former minister because he was not the validly nominated candidate for the senatorial district.
(NAN)
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