Court Directs INEC To Accept Akpabio As APC Senatorial Candidate

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been ordered by Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court in Abuja to recognise and publish the name of Godswill Akpabio as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Akwa Ibom North/West senatorial district in 2023.

The presiding judge ruled in a case that had been brought before the court that INEC had broken the law by refusing to accept and publish Akpabio’s name, despite the fact that the APC had submitted it as a candidate.

Akpabio and Senate President Ahmad Lawan were not recognized by INEC as APC senatorial candidates in August.

Lawan and Akpabio have both run for APC Presidential primaries. The APC listed both of them as senatorial candidates after they both lost, but INEC refused to accept them.

Akpabio went to court to ask the judge to order INEC to accept him as the legtimate senatorial candidate.