Aftermath of NASS poll: Akpabio pulls out of ‘initial Court case’, heads to tribunal

Former Senate minority leader and Governor of Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio, has pulled out of a case he filed in court challenging his Senate reelection loss.

Instead, he has moved to election tribunal to “seek redress on his bid to reclaim his senatorial mandate.

Akpabio’s lawyer, Sunday Ameh, announced the withdrawal in court in Abuja on Friday, though he didn’t give reasons for his decision.

Senator Akpabio filed the case despite Nigeria’s legal provision that Senatorial election disputes should be decided in the first instance by an election tribunal. Lawyers say conventional courts lack jurisdiction to hear such cases.

Regardless, the judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court granted Mr Akpabio’s request to restrain parties involved in the case.

On Friday, the judge, Valentine Ashi, denied restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from issuing certificate of return to the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Chris Ekpenyong, in the February 23 elections.


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