Justice Emeka Nwite, in a judgment on Thursday, held that INEC acted illegally by refusing to accept and publish Akpabio’s name even when it was sent to it by the APC as its candidate.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept and publish the name of Godswill Akpabio as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Akwa Ibom North/West senatorial district in 2023.
Justice Emeka Nwite, in a judgment on Thursday, held that INEC acted illegally by refusing to accept and publish Akpabio’s name even when it was sent to it by the APC as its candidate.
SaharaReporters earlier reported plots by the APC and INEC to usurp the outcome of the primaries won by DIG Udom Ekpoudom in Akwa Ibom North/West Senatorial District and Basir Machina in Yobe in Yobe North Senatorial District, which ruled out Akpabio and Senate President Ahmad Lawan respectively.
A source on Thursday told SaharaReporters that the same the APC-led government is using the court to impose Akpabio on the people of his district is the same way Lawan will be returned to the Senate in 2023 despite not contesting in the Senatorial primary election won by Machina.
"Watch, it is the same thing they will do for Lawan," the source said.
Meanwhile, a human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, had called on Nigerian courts to stop imposing politicians on Nigerians.
This was contained in a statement issued by Tayo Soyemi of the Falana and Falana Chambers in June.
The Senior advocate argued that the courts have been involved in the appointment of party officers and endorsement of candidates adding that this has been unfavourable to the country's democracy
Falana said, “This involvement has been forced by the neglect of its duties by the INEC, the arbitrariness and impunity of some of the members of the Executive, and the corrupt activities of political parties.”
The paper read in part: “The courts have been involved in the appointment of party officers and endorsement of candidates sponsored by political parties to contest elections.
“Even the meetings of the organs and national conventions of political parties are fixed by the courts. Cases arising from the management of political parties are filed in the high court of the federal capital territory or at the federal high court, outside the venue of the dispute.
“The winners of primaries and general elections are no longer determined by the electorate but by the election petition tribunals and courts."