A’Ibom NASS seat: PDP withdraws appeal challenging sack of Sen. Akpan

From Chukwuemeka Njoku, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party has pleaded the Court of Appeal Calabar to dismiss an appeal it lodged against a judgment of the Federal High Court, Uyo which sacked Mr Albert Akpan from the National Assembly, and declared Hon Bassey Etim as lawful replacement.
The party said the judgment of the trial court which sacked Akpan from the senate for not being its authentic candidate in the 2015 Akwa Ibom senatorial election was not against its interest, hence, “unnecessary and ought not to have been filed in the first place.
In the notice of discontinuance of the appeal, the PDP urged the appellate court to: ”Take notice that the appellant (PDP) hereby withdraws all the processes including the notice of appeal and the brief of argument filed by the erstwhile counsel for the party.”
The decision of the PDP under the leadership of Senator Ahmed Makarfi to withdraw the appeal, it was learnt, was in the spirit of on-going reconciliation in the party and its dogged commitment to bring sanity into the party as it prepares itself for the 2019 general poll in the country.
Meanwhile, a United Nations human rights and election monitoring group, Peoples Right to Life Development Foundation (PELDEF) has commended the Makarfi-led PDP Caretaker Committee over withdrawal of the appeal, saying the decision amounted to promotion of internal democracy and respect for court judgment.
“We must commend Senator Makarfi-led PDP Caretaker Committee for taking this positive step in withdrawing the appeal filed by the party against Etim whom the court declared the winner of 2015 Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District.
“It is very clear that the judgement in the case was not against the party as observed in the notice of discontinuance but against the sacked Senator Akpan who has since appealed it.,” PELDEF added.