In a judgment delivered on Monday, the court asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to immediately, withdraw the Certificate of Return given to Senator Akpan.
The court also asked the electoral body to issue a fresh Certificate of Return to Hon. Bassey Etim, whom the court established as the authentic candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the December 2014 primary election, adding that the Senate should swear him in as the Senator representing the district.
Mr. Akpan, a former commissioner for finance during the administration of Godswill Akpabio, is the chairman, Senate Committee on Gas.
Advertisement
The court said Akpan vied for the PDP governorship ticket in the state, and not for the party’s senate ticket.
In 2016, Etim took Senator Akpan, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to court claiming that he was wrongly substituted in the primary election of PDP in Akwa Ibom State.
The court further directed Senator Akpan to refund all salaries and entitlements collected so far as a Senator representing the constituency.