The former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio is looking to the Supreme Court of Nigeria to salvage his faltering political career having been sacked as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial district by the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
Akpabio, who was a presidential aspirant on the platform of the APC in June this year, later stepped down for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the current presidential candidate of the party, and obtained a court order in Abuja that his name should be on the ballot as the APC Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial candidate.
The decision came after Udom Ekpoudom, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, had been elected as the APC candidate for Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial district during the party’s primaries earlier in the year.
Not satisfied with the decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Ekpoudom dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC before the Court of Appeal in Abuja and obtained a favourable judgment in which the court affirmed that he is the APC candidate for Akwa Ibom Northwest district.
In the ruling, the court asked that INEC should delist Godswill Akpabio from its database for the 2023 senatorial district election, adding that Akpabio being a presidential aspirant of the APC, could not participate in the valid primary of the party held on May 28 and monitored by INEC that produced Udom Ekpoudom as the candidate.
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Akpabio defected to the APC in 2018 and lost the senatorial district election, even though he had earlier been elected to the Senate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where he became the minority leader. He was later appointed as minister, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, a position he held until his resignation to contest the APC presidential primaries.
With the general election a few months away, Akpabio has sought for justice by indicating interest in appealing the judgment of the Appeal Court, in a move widely seen as his last hope of being a contestant in the forthcoming election.
In a widely circulated statement he signed, Akpabio gave notice of appealing the judgment, saying that his lawyers have commenced the scrutiny of the contents of the judgment for the purpose of seeking appropriate legal address.
The statement titled ‘The Court of Appeal Judgment in suit No. CA/ABJ/CV/1001/2022’, Udom Ekpoudom Vs APC and INEC added that he was aware that the Supreme Court of Nigeria has the final say in these matters.
“I therefore, strongly advise my supporters, APC members and all my constituents to remain calm and law abiding as they continue their campaign for the successes of the APC in Akwa Ibom Northwest senatorial district, Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria at large,’’ the statement added.
Reacting to the Appeal Court judgment, Ekpoudom expressed delight over the development, saying it was a validation of the people’s mandate.
According Ekpoudom, the judicial affirmation by the three-man panel of justices led by Danlami Senchi which ruled that “Godswill Akpabio, who contested in the APC presidential primary did not participate in the valid primary of the party held on 28th May, 2022 and monitored by the Indetional Electoral commission (INEC), which produced Udom Udo Ekpoudom in line with the extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 20222 (as amended) is nothing but a validation of the collective will and aspiration of APC members in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District as expressed through the ballot at the primary.”
Speaking through Uwem Udoma, a former deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly and director-general, Ekpoudom Campaign Organisation, he said that a political question that resulted in the dispute was taken to the Appellate Court for judicial, legal and constitutional interpretation, adding that “the court in exercise of its judicial and constitutional powers has made a pronouncement in line with the law describing it as a welcome development.
“We welcome the judgment for not only affirming that the judiciary is indeed the last hope of the common man, but for also restoring the sanctity of the ballot, the supremacy of the Rule of Law and Due Process but for emphatically emphasising the need for strict adherence to internal procedures and laws by political parties who intend to file candidates for elections.
“We thank our teeming supporters in the Senatorial District for their show of love, loyalty and solidarity and urge all to close ranks, unite, and work for the collective success of our great party, the APC come 2023. The party, as always remains supreme and as loyal party members, the success of the party must remain paramount in our words and actions.”
