Cross River Central: Declare Me Winner, Ekpere-Eta Tells Court

A former director-general of the National Women Development Centre and an aspirant for the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Cross River Central Senatorial seat, Barr Mary Ekpere-Eta, has asked the Special Task Force handling electoral cases to declare her as the candidate of the party for the 2023 Senatorial elections in the area.

She further sought the disqualification of Hon Etteng Jonah Williams and Chief Akinwumi Anderson Rickets from participating in any re-run as may be ordered by the court for the Cross Central Senatorial seat under the All Progressives Congress (APC) having not been qualified to run in the primaries ab initio.

Adopting her brief of arguments through her Counsel, Bankole Joel Akomolafe, Ekpere-Eta, urged the court presided over by Justice Fadimatu Aminu, to hold that the primary election of the Cross River Central Senatorial District of the APC conducted on the 28th May 2023 to elect its candidate is null, void and invalid having not been conducted in accordance with the extant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Constitution of the party.

On the preliminary objections raised by the Counsel to the 1st and 2nd defendants, Akomolafe, asked the court to discountenance it as it amounts to no issue and has no substance.

Earlier , Counsel to the 1st and 2nd defendants urged the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the originating summons was signed but not sealed by the Registrar of the court which they claimed was a fundamental error.

After listening to the arguments from the counsels in the suit, Justice Aminu adjourned for judgment on a date to be communicated to Counsels.