Discordant tunes from Abak -5 axis of North – West Senatorial District trail the affirmation of Senator Akpabio’s candidacy By Supreme Court

Date:

By Emmanuel Uffot

For the camp and supporters of Senator Godswill Akpabio, it was double celebration as his choiced governorship candidate of All Progressive Congress ( APC) in Akwa Ibom State Akan Udofia got victory at the Appeal Court affirming it as the governorship flagbearer of the party while he ( Akpabio) also got affirmation from the apex court to contest for the Senatorial DIstrict seat under the party.
His victory at the Supreme Court came on Friday January 20, 24 hours after the Appeal Court also okay Udofia to be in the ballot paper ahead the March 11 election.
In a unanimous decision, the five- man panel of Justices of the apex court upheld the appeal by Akpabio challenging the ruling of the Appeal Court that nullified his candidacy.
In the judgement read by Justice Ibrahim Saukana, the apex court held that the appellate court lacked the jurisdiction to meddle in the issue of nomination of a candidate to stand for election which is purely an internal affairs of a political party.
It further said that the appellate court lacking jurisdiction, therefore its decision on that matter was a nullity and resolved issues raised by Senator Akpabio and upheld the desicion of the Federal High Court that had earlier validated the candidacy of the former governor and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and vacated that of the Appeal Court that ordered INEC to recognised Mr Udom Ekpoudom as the rightful candidate of the APC.
The genesis of the issues that led to the litigation against Akpabio by Ekpoudom on who is the authentic candidate could be traced to the faction inherent in APC Akwa Ibom State on one hand and how Akpabio emerged as the Senatorial candidate for North – West Senatorial District ( Ikot Ekpene Senatorial DIstrict) after having contested for the position of President earlier.
Recalled that prior to the APC Presidential Primary which Akpabio participated as an aspirant. The party Senatorial primary was won by retired Deputy Inspector General of Police Udom Ekpoudom. However a parallel primary also conducted which was won by Ekperikpe Ekpo but later cancelled over alleged irregularities. A rerun was later conducted on June 9 after Akpabio came back from his presidential venture which he stepped down for Bola Tinubu. To the surprise of many, he participated in the rerun was announced the winner.
But INEC having recognised the primary that produced Ekpoudom insisted that he was the rightful candidate. When it looked like Akpabio had the support of the party National Working Committee ( NWC) to represent the party as the Senatorial candidate of the district. Ekpoudom headed to court to claim his mandate.
But
Consequently a Federal High Court in Abuja on September 22, 2022 ruled on the matter asking INEC to reinstate and recognise Akpabio as the APC candidate for the Senatorial DIstrict and that the electoral body should publish his name as such.
The court held that INEC acted illegally by refusing to accept and publish Akpabio’s name when the party submitted it to the Commission.
Justice Emeka Nwite said the former governor was the validly nominated candidate of the APC from the primary conducted by the party’s NWC. He therefore faulted the electoral umpire for choosing to monitor the May 27 primary conducted by an illegal faction of the party led by Augustine Ekanem as against the June 9 primary authorised by the APC hierarchy.
Dissatisfied by the verdict, Ekpoudom headed to the Appeal Court which nullifies the candidacy of Akpabio and ordered INEC to publish the retired DIG’s name as the Senatorial candidate of the party for the said Senatorial DIstrict.
A three man- panel of the Appeal Court Justices led by Justice Danlami Senchi ruled that the respondent ( Akpabio) failed to file a proof of arguments within the time provided by the provisions.
It further ruled that Senator Akpabio having contested the Presidential Primary of the APC could not have participated in the valid primary of the party held on May 27, 2022 which was monitored by INEC that produced the appellant ( Ekpoudom).
That is the matter that has now been resolved by the Supreme Court in Akpabio favour.
It is noteworthy that even as supporters of Akpabio are in celebration mood. A section of the Senatorial DIstrict known as Abak 5 are not happy with the development which they argued has further deprived the axis the opportunity of producing a Senator as against Akpabio’s axis that has produced many.
Echoing the position of the area is Chief Don Etiebet, now an APC chieftain in the state and former Minister of Petroleum. Speaking after the apex court ruling the Elder statesman said the judgement was not acceptable to the Senatorial DIstrict due to the inherent irregularities and inconsistencies that played out during the build up to the primary, but they can’t help but respect the judgement coming from the apex court.
Etiebet insisted that it was the turn of Abak 5 of the Senatorial DIstrict and in particular Abak/ Etim Ekpo/ Ika Federal Constituency to produce the next Senator since the other three Federal Constituencies have produced and Abak 5 has not produced any since independence in 1960.
Abak 5 where Etiebet and Ekpoudom comes from consist of Abak, Etim Ekpo, Oruk Anam, Ika and Ukanafun local government areas. Akpabio comes from Ikot Ekpene/ Obot Akara axis. Etiebet ” Although this point was not adduced in the court, we from the Senatorial DIstrict have since resolved that it is the turn of Abak- 5 zone of the Senatorial DIstrict and in particular Abak/ Etim Ekpo/ Ika Federal Constituency this time around since all the other three Federal Constituencies in the Senatorial DIstricts have produced senators several times. The Federal Constituency of Ikot Ekpene where Senator Akpabio comes from have produced five senators since 1960 and three consecutively since 1999 including Akpabio himself whereas Abak Federal Constituency has produced none since 1960. That is why we in the district unanimously nominated retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udom Ekpoudom from Etim Ekpo local government area of Abak Federal Constituency to contest under APC banner “.
Indeed for followers of politics in this area, the emerging discordant tunes from that axis which we gathered have been clamouring for that seat might be an headache to Akpabio making a statement in his aspiration considering the fact that PDP’s candidate for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in person of Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem comes from Abak – 5. And he is the International Coordinator of Maintain Peace Movement, a political structure set up by the governor to actualise the aspiration of the governorship candidate Pastor Umo Eno and other PDP candidates for different positions. The political structure MPM in the past one year is said to have already entrenched structures in wards and units of all the 31 local government areas of the state to serve as foot soldiers during election.

spot_img

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related

Abinibi Congratulates Lagos First Female Speaker

Abinibi Congratulates Lagos First Female Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola...

Donald Trump Announces US Withdrawal From World Health Organisation

Donald Trump Announces US Withdrawal From World Health Organisation President...

Ekweremadu’s Wife Returns to Nigeria

Ekweremadu’s Wife Returns to Nigeria Beatrice, the wife of former...

Visa Applications To Go Online Before March 1 – Federal Govt

Visa Applications To Go Online Before March 1 –...