Court of Appeal sacks former Akwa Ibom governor Godswill Akpabio from senate

SENATE minority leader and former Akwa Ibom governor Godswill Akpabio has been sacked from the National Assembly by the Court of Appeal after it ruled that his election violated Nigeria's Electoral Act.

 

In May, Senator Akpabio was elected to represent the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District and following the resumption of the senate, became minority leader. The two-term governor is subsequently the leader of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the senate.

 

However, his election was challenged by Chief Inibehe Okori of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who claimed that the former governor was not duly elected. Agreeing with him, the court nullified the election and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct fresh polls within 90 days.

 

In the senatorial elections, Senator Akpabio polled 422,009 of the 439,449 votes cast to defeat Chief Okorie of the APC who recorded 15, 152 votes. This is the second such sacking of a high profile senator lately after former senate president David Mark, representing Benue South, was recently sent packing by the Court of Appeal.