By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THE Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, on Monday, disqualified Akan Udofia as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2023 governorship election.
This is just as Abuja division of the Court of Appeal has set aside the judgement of Federal High Court Abuja, removing Godswill Akpabio as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.
In the case of the APC governorship candidate, the court ruled that Akan Udofia has never been a member of APC.
In her judgement delivered on Monday, Justice Agatha Okeke ordered that a fresh election be conducted within 14 days from the day of this judgement.
The judgement barred Udofia from participating in the primary election.
Stonix News reports that a former Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Ita Enang had filed the case challenging the candidacy of Udofia.
Enang had alleged that Udofia was not an APC member as of the time the poll was conducted, noting that Udofia contested the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary held on May 25 before coming to contest the APC primary on May 26.
Meanwhile, a three-member panel of justices, read by Justice Danlami Senchi, on Monday, held that Akpabio failed to file a proof of arguments within the time provided by the rules.
The panel further ruled that Akpabio, being a presidential aspirant of the APC, could not participate in the valid primary of the party held on May 27 and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which produced Udom Ekpoudom as a candidate.
Stonix News recalled that a Federal High Court in Abuja had, on September 22, asked INEC to reinstate Senator Akpabio as APC’s candidate, being the candidate nominated by the party in the second primary of June 9.
The lower court had directed that INEC accepts the former Minister of Niger Delta as the APC flagbearer.
The court also ordered that INEC publish Akpabio’s name as APC senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North/West senatorial district in 2023, stating 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 Emeka Nwite, who delivered judgement, held that Akpabio was validly nominated as the Akwa-Ibom North/West Senatorial District candidate of the APC from the primary conducted by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on June 9, 2022.
The trial Judge faulted INEC for electing to monitor the May 27 primary, conducted by an illegal faction of the party led by Augustine Ekanem as against the June 9 primary authorized conducted by the APC NWC.
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