Court sacks PDP’s Ekpeyong, orders rerun in one LG

An appeal court Saturday nullified the election of People’s Democratic Party’s Chris Ekpenyong as the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district in the Senate.

The court also ordered a rerun in Essien Udim local government area of the state within 90 days.

Ekpenyong succeeded All Progressives Congress’s Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of the state, after he was declared the winner of the senatorial election on February 23.

Akpabio, currently Nigeria’s Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, disputed the result of the election at the election petition tribunal.

The tribunal upheld Ekpeyong’s election, noting that Akpabio’s petition lacked merit.

But the appellate court said the Independent National Electoral Commission erred by declaring the PDP’s candidate the winner of the election.

It said the election was marred by irregularities and non-compliance with the electoral laws, and that no candidate should have been declared the winner.