Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja has ordered the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept and publish the name
of Godswill Akpabio, as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
for Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District in next year’s election.
Delivering Judgement, 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.
Justice Nwite added that Akpabio was validly nominated as the Akwa –
Ibom Northwest Senatorial District candidate of the APC from the primary
conducted by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on June 9, 2022.
He said INEC is bound by the provisions of Section 29 (3) of the
Electoral Act to publish only the personal particulars of the candidate of the
first plaintiff for the Akwa-Iborn Northwest Senatorial District elections in
the person of the second plaintiff (Akpabio) as received from the first
plaintiff.
The judge also declared that INEC cannot publish any other name or
particulars of any other candidate as candidate of the APC for the Akwa – lbom
North/West Senatorial District elections, except as nominated, submitted and
received from the APC.
He further ordered INEC to publish the name and particulars of Akpabio
as the candidate of the APC for the Akwa-Iborn North/West Senatorial District
in the 2023 general elections as nominated and submitted to it by the APC.