Less than a week to the 2023 general elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is still without a governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, according to the lists of candidates so far released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Commission published the final lists of candidates for Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections on 20 September 2022, and Governorship and State House of Assembly elections on 4 October 2022.

INEC has also published four amendments to the final list between then and February.

“By virtue of the provision of Section 287 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the list of candidates in respect of the affected constituencies are amended pursuant to the orders of court. Please note that the amended list supersedes the earlier publications on 20 September and 4 October 2022 in the affected constituencies,” INEC said on its website.

However, the space for the name of the governorship candidate of the APC in Akwa Ibom remained blank as it were before now.

The APC has never had its governorship candidate in the state recognised by INEC since May 2022 when the party conducted its primary.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja had on 19 January set aside the judgment of a Federal High Court in Uyo, which nullified the nomination of Akanimo Udofia as the APC governorship candidate in the state.

The case was instituted by a former adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ita Enang, who was an aspirant in the 26 May 2022 governorship primary of the party in the state.

One month after the appellate court ruling, INEC was yet to publish Mr Udofia’s name as the APC candidate for the 2023 governorship election in the state.

INEC spokesperson, Festus Okoye, did not respond to request for comment on the matter when contacted on Saturday.

APC speaks on the matter

Despite not being recognised by INEC, Mr Udofia had commenced his governorship campaign in the state shortly after the court victory.

Spokesperson for the APC in Akwa Ibom, Otoabasi Udo on Sunday said he was unaware that INEC was yet to publish Mr Udofia’s name as a candidate but said the development may be because of “administrative issues” at the Commission.

“When we (APC) had issues, Mr Udofia did not do his campaign but he’s drawing strength from the Appeal Court judgment to campaign,” Mr Udo, a lawyer, told PREMIUM TIMES.

Spokesperson of Mr Udofia governorship campaign council, Imoh Akpan, told PREMIUM TIMES there was a “lacuna” in the Court of Appeal judgment, which he said the APC was currently engaging INEC on.

“Although the Appeal Court ruled in favour of Mr Udofia, the appellate court did not expressly order INEC to publish Mr Udofia’s name as the governorship candidate of the party in the state.

PREMIUM TIMES