Court restrains INEC from issuing certificate of return to Akpabio’s opponent

A Federal High Court Sitting in Abuja High Court has given an order, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from issuing a certificate of return to Chris Ekpenyong on the just concluded election for Akwa Ibom North-West District.

INEC announced Ekpenyong as the winner of the election, against the incumbent senator, Godswill Akpabio.

According to the result announced by the returning officer, Peter Oban, a professor, Mr Akpabio scored 83,158 votes, while Mr Ekpenyong scored 118,215 votes.

Before the announcement of the election result, Akpabio had petitioned INEC, alleging that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, was “considering reversing the announced cancellation of result from Obot Akara”.

Mr Akpabio’s opponent, Mr Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is from Obot Akara.

“It is the law that a pronouncement on a result has been made, only a court of law can reverse such decision. An attempt to reverse same is total illegality,” Mr Akpabio said in the petition, dated February 23, and signed by his brother, Ibanga Akpabio, who was the APC senatorial agent in the election.

The Abuja court on Friday gave the ex parte order restraining INEC from issuing a certificate of return to Mr Ekpenyong, following an application brought before it by Mr Akpabio.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook