Godswill Akpabio, a senator from Akwa Ibom State, has offered reasons why he withdrew his election case from an Abuja high court.

Mr Akpabio, who contested for re-election for a second term under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to represent the Akwa Ibom North-West District, lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chris Ekpenyong.

Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom, claimed victory in the election and accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of tampering with the election result.

Mr Akpabio, acting against the convention where aggrieved election losers seek redress at election tribunal, filed a lawsuit in a high court in Abuja for “a judicial review for the issuance of a writ of mandamus, prohibition, injunction, and other declaratory reliefs against the respondent (INEC).” He obtained a controversial order which restrained INEC from issuing a certificate of return to his opponent, Mr Ekpenyong.

The senator told PREMIUM TIMES, Friday night, he withdrew the case from the high court so he could file his case at the election tribunal on Monday.

“I needed to withdraw this other matter so that it won’t end up being an abuse of court process (to have the same matter in a court and a tribunal at the same time).

“I must reclaim my mandate,” he said.