
The Supreme Court has affirmed the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District for this year’s election.
In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel of Justices on Friday, the Supreme Court upheld an appeal Akpabio filed to challenge the Court of Appeal judgement that nullified his candidacy.
In the lead judgement that was read by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, the apex court, held that the appellate court lacked the jurisdiction to meddle in the issue of nomination of candidate for an election, which it said was within the purview of an internal affair of a political party.
The apex court panel resolved 10 issues Akpabio raised before it in his favour and accordingly vacated the November 14, 2022 judgement of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognize Mr. Udom Ekpoudom as the authentic candidate of the APC for the senatorial contest.