The Supreme Court has affirmed the nomination of Godswill Akpabio as the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District.
In a judgment on Friday, a five-member panel of the court led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun unanimously allowed the appeal filed by the APC.
In a lead judgment read by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, the apex court set aside the November 14 judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal, Abuja which earlier voided Akpabio’s nomination.
The apex court held that issue of nomination of candidates was n internal affair of the political party over which courts lacked jurisdiction.
It further held that it was the National Working Committee (NWC) of a party that is empowered to conduct valid primaries for the selection of candidates.
The Supreme Court also held that the Court of Appeal was wrong to have assumed jurisdiction over the appeal filed by retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Udom Ekpoudom.
The judgment was on the appeal by the APC, marked: SC/CV/1476/2022 with Ekpoudom as the first respondent.
The court applied the judgment to the other two appeals filed on the same issue by Akpabio and Ekpoudom, marked: SC/CV/1459/2022 and SC/CV/1539/2022.
On the appeal, marked: SC/CV/1459/2022 by Akpabio, the court struck it out on the grounds that in view of its decision in the appeal by the APC, it has become an academic exercise.
On the appeal, marked: SC/CV/1539/2022 by Ekpoudom, the court dismissed it having allowed the appeal by the APC which affirmed Akpabio as the party’s actual candidate.
The November 14 judgment of the Court of Appeal was on the two judgments of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
In the first judgment was delivered on September 15, 2022 by Justice Emeka Nwite in the suit marked: (FHC/ABJ/CS/1011/2022 filed by Akpabio, court ordered INEC to include the name Akpabio as the APC candidate for the February 25, 2023 Senatorial election.
In the second judgment delivered on September 23, 2022 on the suit marked: by Justice Donatus Okorowo on the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1000/2022 filed by Ekpoudom, which was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. (TheNation)
