The Supreme Court, on Friday, affirmed the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godswill Akpabio as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District election of February 25, 2023.
The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel of Justices, upheld an appeal Akpabio filed to challenge the Court of Appeal judgment that nullified his candidacy.
In the lead judgment read by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, the apex court held that the appellate court lacked the jurisdiction to meddle in the issue of nomination of candidate for an election, noting that it is the internal affair of a political party.
The apex court panel resolved 10 issues Akpabio raised before it in his favour and, accordingly, vacated the November 14, 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize Mr. Udom Ekpoudom as the authentic candidate of the APC for the senatorial election.