UYO — A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo has been asked to stop the All Progressives Congress, APC, from suspending or expelling eight aspirants of the party in Akwa Ibom State pending the determination of a suit challenging the party’s nomination process for the 2027 State House of Assembly election.
The eight aggrieved aspirants filed a motion for interlocutory injunction on Wednesday, praying the court to restrain the APC and its organs from taking any disciplinary action against them while their substantive case is still before the court.
The applicants in Suit No. FHC/UY/CS/104/2026 are Asuquo Ndiana Okon, Uko Asian Johnson, Kennedy Matthew Akpan, Effiong Victor Bassey, Nsunwara Blessing Okon, Noah Samuel Okon, Nyoho Samson Jackson and Dr. Godwin Udo Umontuen.
Joined as respondents are the All Progressives Congress, the APC Akwa Ibom State Screening and Appeal Committee, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Through their counsel, Gideon Willie Esq., the aspirants are specifically asking the court to restrain the 1st to 3rd respondents, their officers, agents, representatives, disciplinary committees, proxies or any other person acting on their behalf from suspending, expelling or imposing any disciplinary sanctions on them until the court decides the main suit.
Alleged self-help amid litigation
According to court documents, the applicants had earlier filed the substantive suit to challenge what they described as irregularities in the selection and nomination of candidates for the 2027 Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly election.
They alleged that after filing the case, the APC constituted a disciplinary committee with the intention of suspending or expelling them over matters that are directly connected to the pending litigation.
The aspirants argued that allowing the party to proceed with disciplinary measures at this stage would amount to self-help and an attempt to overreach the judicial process. They maintained that any suspension or expulsion before the conclusion of the case would cause them irreparable damage to their political rights, public reputation and eligibility to participate in party activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Permitting the respondents to discipline the applicants while the substantive suit is pending will render the outcome of this court nugatory,” the motion stated. “The balance of convenience clearly tilts in favour of preserving the status quo.”
Legal grounds
In support of their application, the applicants relied on Order 26 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, which empowers the court to grant interim protection to preserve the subject matter of a dispute.
They also cited several Supreme Court and Court of Appeal authorities, including Kotoye v. Central Bank of Nigeria, Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu, Obeya Memorial Hospital v. Attorney-General of the Federation, Globe Fishing Industries Ltd. v. Coker, and Akapo v. Hakeem-Habeeb. These cases, their lawyer argued, establish the principle that parties must not take steps that could pre-empt a court decision or foist a fait accompli on the judiciary.
The applicants urged the court to grant the interlocutory injunction in order to preserve their rights and ensure that the substantive suit is not rendered academic.
Context of the dispute
The legal challenge is the latest in a series of internal disagreements within the APC in Akwa Ibom as political parties begin early positioning for the 2027 general elections. The House of Assembly primaries are expected to be highly competitive, with aspirants across the 31 state constituencies jostling for the party ticket.
Political observers note that disputes over candidate selection have become a recurring issue in the state chapter of the APC, often resulting in litigation that stretches into the election year. The outcome of this case could therefore have implications for how the party manages internal grievances and candidate nomination in the state.
INEC, listed as the 4th respondent, is expected to oversee the conduct of the 2027 elections in line with the Electoral Act.
As of the time of filing this report, the court had not announced a date for the hearing of the motion. The substantive suit challenging the nomination process remains pending.
The development signals that the battle for APC tickets in Akwa Ibom will not only be fought at party primaries, but also in the courts, as aspirants seek judicial intervention to protect their political ambitions.
