2023: Akpabio’s Senatorial Candidacy Suffers Major Setback as INEC Issues Fresh, Powerful Statement
- INEC has denied altering electoral documents in favour of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio
- Interestingly, High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered INEC to accept and publish the name of Godswill Akpabio as the candidate of the APC for Akwa Ibom North/West senatorial district in 2023
- In reaction, the nation's electoral umpire noted that it is yet to get a certified court order that it would act upon, a few months before the 2023 elections
On Thursday, September 15, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday said it is yet to receive the recent court judgement on the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier ordered INEC to recognise Akpabio as the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akwa Ibom North/West district in 2023.
Source: Facebook
The court ruling
Specifically, Justice Emeka Nwite held that INEC acted illegally by refusing to accept and publish Akpabio’s name after it was sent by APC.
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INEC reacts to the court's verdict
But reacting to the development during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, INEC National Electoral Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said the electoral body does not rely on media reports before making decisions.
Okoye, when asked if INEC will obey the verdict, he stated thus:
“As of today, we have not received any court order/judgement.
“Based on our rules, we respect court orders because under Section 287 of the Constitution; we are a public institution and are bound to obey orders from properly constituted courts of law.”
INEC takes final decision on staff who sworn to an affidavit in favour of Lawan
In another development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disowned one of its staff members who swore to an affidavit in court over the crisis in the primary of the Yobe North Senatorial district.
In a statement in Abuja on Thursday, the spokesperson of the commission, Festus Okoye said the unnamed staff at the federal high court in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital, was not authorised to do so.
There has been a legal tussle on the right candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the senatorial district between Ahmed Lawan, the senate president and Bashir Machina, a former lawmaker.
Akpabio: INEC's REC Igini says it's punishable offence to obtain multiple nomination forms
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Akwa Ibom state’s resident electoral commissioner, Mike Igini, said it is a punishable offence under the electoral act 2022 for politicians to obtain multiple nomination forms.
Igini cited section 115 (D) of the electoral act, which stated that a person who signed a nomination paper or result form as a candidate in more than one constituency is liable to be convicted to 2 years imprisonment.
Godswill Akpabio, former minister of President Muhammadu Buhari, had been at loggerhead with Igini over his insistence that INEC did not monitor the primaries that produced the former governor as the senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom north-west.
Source: Legit.ng
