BREAKING: Jubilation As APC Loses At Tribunal In Key State Governorship Petition (DETAILS)

BREAKING: Jubilation As APC Loses At Tribunal In Key State Governorship Petition (DETAILS)

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal convened in Uyo on Thursday, September 28, dismissed a petition brought forth by Akanimo Udofia, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State. Udofia challenged the election of Pastor Umo Eno from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the victor of the March 18, 2023, elections.

Udofia contended that Eno had presented falsified documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and did not secure the highest number of valid votes in the election. Additionally, he accused the second respondent of having a criminal record, rendering him ineligible for candidacy.

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However, in favor of Governor Umo Eno, the Tribunal unanimously ruled that the petitioners failed to sufficiently substantiate their claims of significant noncompliance with electoral laws during the election. The panel, led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye, also unanimously determined that the magistrate court had nullified its prior conviction of Pastor Umo Eno, effectively rendering it non-existent.

The Tribunal disagreed with the petitioner’s stance on the legality of the magistrate’s decision to overturn its own judgment. It stated, “It is not the duty of the tribunal to determine if the decision of the magistrate court to upturn its own judgment was justified. That falls under the jurisdiction of the Abuja High Court.”

Regarding the qualifications of the second respondent, the Tribunal upheld that the Supreme Court had already established Pastor Eno’s legitimate ownership of the WAEC certificates he submitted to INEC.

The lead judgment delivered by Justice Kadi Usman Sikudu also emphasized that the petitioners failed to present any other individual as the authentic owner of the 1981 WAEC certificate they disputed.

The Tribunal additionally dismissed the evidence provided by a subpoenaed witness, an Interpol officer, enlisted by the petitioners to testify on the second respondent’s WAEC results.

Concerning the claim that the PDP utilized public office holders as collation agents in a specific local government area, the tribunal determined that the individual’s membership on a company’s board could not be classified as a political office, thus not warranting the disqualification of a candidate.

Ultimately, Udofia’s petition was deemed lacking in merits, as the petitioner did not establish any polling unit with noncompliance in the March 18 Governorship elections. The tribunal also rejected the grounds of the petition challenging the eligibility of Senator Bassey Albert, who secured second place in the election. It maintained that, at the time of the elections, there was a pending appeal by the convicted YPP candidate, rendering him eligible to participate. Additionally, the tribunal dismissed the APC’s contention that Senator Albert was not qualified to represent the YPP after having contested for the same office under the PDP. It ruled that, not being a YPP member, the petitioner lacked standing to challenge the party’s choice of candidate and the process leading to his selection.

Earlier on the previous day, the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Uyo dismissed petitions by gubernatorial candidates of the NNPP, Senator John James Akpan Udoedehe, and ANC, Ezekiel Nyaetok, for lacking merit.

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