The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, today, affirmed that the former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, was validly elected to represent Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District in the State.
In their judgment this afternoon, a three-man panel of Justices of the appellate court led by Justice Mashood Oredola, dismissed appeal that was lodged against Akpabio by candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Senatorial District, Chief Inibehe Okori.
The appellate court held that the Akwa Ibom State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal acted properly when it dismissed the joint petition that Okori and APC filed before it on April 18.
According to the court, the appellants failed to by preponderance of evidence, prove that Akpabio was not duly nominated by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to contest the March 28 election.
According to the appellate court, the fact that Akpabio was in an initial list that was sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by the PDP, erroneously identified as the Senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North East, did not invalidate his election.
It held that Akpabio was duly nominated for the election in accordance with the provisions of section 65(2) of the 1999 constitution, as amended, and section138(1) of the Electoral Act.
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