Ahmad Lawan, the senate president on Thursday, January 30, 2020, swore in Christopher Ekpenyong as senator representing Akwa Ibom North West.
This followed Ekpeyong’s victory at the rerun election ordered by the Court and conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on January 25, 2020.
NAN reports that the All Progressive Congress, APC, did not participate in the re-run.
APC’s failure to participate in the election followed a letter from INEC that the party cannot substitute a candidate for the rerun.
Godswill Akpabio, the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, who contested the February 2019 National Assembly election as a sitting senator on the platform of the APC had dragged Ekpenyong to court.
Ekpeyong’s victory was cut short by the Court of Appeal which directed INEC to conduct a fresh poll.
News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Ekpeyong is a senator under the People’s Democratic Party.
