Adewale Ajayi,
The Supreme Court on Thursday, dismissed the appeals filed by Albert Bassey, John Akpanudoedehe and Akanimo Udofia, Governorship Candidates of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) respectively, challenging the victory and return of PDP’s Umo Eno as Governor of Akwa Ibom State in the 18th March Governorship poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 21, declared PDP’s Eno winner of the election after securing 356,348 votes, to defeat Bassey of the YPP 136,262 votes Udofia of the APC 129,602 votes and Akpanudoedehe of the NNPP 12,509 votes
Expressing displeasure over the results declared by the Commission, the trio separately approached the tribunal with INEC, Eno and PDP listed as first, second and third defendants respectively.
Their petitions were anchored on the following grounds:
(1) That the 2nd defendant was at the time of the election, not qualified to contest the election having submitted a forged WAEC certificate in aid of his qualification
(2) That the Primary of the 3rd defendant that produced the 2nd defendant was not in compliance with the Electoral Law and the 1999 CFRN.
(3) That the 2nd defendant was convicted by a Magistrate Court and hence not qualified to contest the election.
In September 2023, the Justice Adekunle Adeleye led 3-man tribunal dismissed the Petitions brought by all the parties.
The tribunal upheld the preliminary objections bothering on jurisdiction and non qualification of the 2nd Respondent, and declared that Pastor Umo Eno was eminently qualified,and that the earlier judgement of the Supreme Court in the case filed against him by Mr Akan Ekpe Okon was binding to all human beings, in the world, including the petitioners.
The tribunal also decided that the petitioners lacked the locus to challenge how the 3rd Respondent, PDP conducted its primaries to produce a candidate.
Not pleased with the tribunal ruling, all three parties appealed the tribunal ruling separately and the Court of Appeal upheld the ruling of the tribunal.
Still not satisfied with the court of Appeal ruling they approached the supreme.
The 5-man panel led by Justice Uwani Musa Abba-Aji JSC unanimously upheld the judgements of the lower courts.
