The Federal High Court sitting in Uyo on Monday sacked Bassey Akpan, representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial district, from the Nigerian Senate.
It also ruled that Bassey Etim was the authentic candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 senatorial election in the state.
The court said Mr. Akpan vied for the PDP governorship ticket in the state, and not for the party’s senate ticket.
It ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should immediately issue a certificate of return to Mr. Etim, a former member of the Federal House of Representatives, and that the Senate should immediately swear him in.
The court gave Akpan 90 days to refund all the money he has received as emoluments so far from the National Assembly.
Etim had in 2016 taking Akpan, INEC and the PDP to court claiming that he was wrongly substituted in the PDP primary election in Akwa Ibom.
Akpan, on the other hand, had petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) seeking the probe of Justice Fatun Riman of the Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom division over allegations of bias, judicial misconduct and arbitrariness.
The former commissioner for finance during the administration of former Governor Godswill Akpabio is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Gas.
