Akwa Ibom Governor, Speaker Win At Tribunal

The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Uyo, Akaw Ibom State,  has concluded proceedings on all petitions challenging the declaration of Pastor Umo Eno of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the March 18 poll with the dismissal  of the Young Progressives Party’s (YPP’s) petition yesterday.

Earlier petitions against the election of Governor Eno brought before the Justice Adekunle Adeleye-tribunal by the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator John Akpan Udoedehe, Ezekiel Nya-Etok of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Obong Akanimo Udofia of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were also dismissed out for lacking merit.

In the judgement on suit number  EPT/AKW/GOV/01/2023 brought by Senator Bassey Akpan of the YPP which sought to nullify the elections, the tribunal upheld the preliminary objections bordering on jurisdiction and non-qualification of the second respondent, and affirmed Governor Eno as having won the contest.

It held that Eno was eminently qualified and that the earlier judgement of the Supreme Court in the case filed against him by Mr Akan Ekpe Okon bordering on alleged forgery of two ordinary level certificates was binding on all human beings in the world, including the petitioners.

The judgement read by Justice Adeleye frowned at the petitioners for abuse of judicial processes in resurrecting the matter already buried by the apex court.

The tribunal, therefore, dismissed Senator Akpan’s petition as “frivolous and baseless,” and ratified the election of Pastor Eno as the duly elected governor of Akwa Ibom State.

Similarly, the House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal headed by Justice Kudirat Ajose declared the speaker of  the state House of Assembly, Elder Udeme Otong of the PDP winner of the March 18, 2023 election for Abak State constituency.