The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed claims by a member of the House of Representatives, Michael Enyong, insisting that Umo Eno remains its governorship candidate for the forthcoming governorship election in Akwa Ibom State.
Accordingly, the party has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, challenging the judgment of a lower court in favour of Enyong.
The party has also filed a motion seeking for a stay of execution of the judgement of the lower court, pending the determination of the substantive appeal before the appellate court.
Hearing on the appeal is expected to commence next week.
Following the pending appeal by the PDP, a federal high court in Abuja has adjourned the hearing on the applications by the governorship candidate of the party, Pastor Umo Eno.
Eno, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1295/2022, is applying to be joined in the suit as an interested party.
He is praying the to court grant a stay of execution of the judgement delivered two weeks ago as well as an order setting aside the earlier judgement.
However, the Federal High Court presided over by Obiora Egwatu, upheld the arguments of Enyong that since the PDP has already filed an appeal at the appellate court on the same matter, it was necessary for the High Court to adjourn till March 15, when the matter would have been concluded at the appeallate court.
T’With the pending applications for stay of execution by both the PDP at the Appeal Court and the PDP governorship candidate at the lower court, Pastor Umo Eno remains the candidate of the PDP for the Akwa Ibom State governorship race.
A statement signed Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem titled, RE: REFUSAL OF A PURPORTED APPLICATION FOR STAY OF EXECUTION IN MICHAEL ENYIONG, noted that the defeated governorship aspirant of the party, Michael Enyong, had gone to the Federal High Court in Abuja to obtain a judgement after declaring himself the authentic winner of the PDP primaries which he personally conducted in his compound.
The statement reads in part: “The PDP had since appealed against the judgment in Appeal No. CA/AB/CV/120/2023 while Past. Umo Eno who was not a party took the option of filing an application for the judgment to be set aside on grounds that it is a nullity for the reasons that same was delivered in violation of Pastor Umo Eno’s right to fair hearing and that the complaint was statute barred being filed outside the 14 days allowed by the Constitution.
“When the application came up today for mention at the Federal High Court, the Judge held the view that it would be desirable to have the PDP appeal determined first by the Court of Appeal before proceeding with the application.
“There was no application for a stay of execution moved and so none was refused.
“It is therefore erroneous, mischievous and a deliberate gross misrepresentation for anyone to publish that an application for stay was refused by the Judge.
“It is important to let the public, especially, the teeming members of the PDP/supporters of Past. Umo Eno rest assured that the appeal against the judgment delivered on 20/01/2023 has 99.9% chance of success on appeal given the concrete position of the law today.”
