The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has dismissed petitions brought before it by the candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Arc. Ezekiel Nyaetok, as well as the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Senator John James Akpan Udoedehe for lacking in merit.
Nyaetok of the ADC sought the disqualification of Pastor Umo Eno alleging that he was convicted by a Magistrate Court in Abuja, and that having been convicted, all votes that accrued to him during the March 18 elections ought to be nullified.
He also challenged other candidates who scored more votes than him, alleging that they were handicapped by litigation which hampered their eligibility to participate in the election.
But the chairman of the panel, Justice Adekunle Adeleye in his judgement ruled that the same magistrate court presided by Emeka Iyama, delivered a judgment, nullifying its earlier conviction of Pastor Umo Eno and that once a judgement is nullified, it ceases to exist.
The tribunal also held that Nyaetok’s petition lacked merit as the petitioner was not able to establish one polling unit in which there was non compliance with the electoral law in the March 18 governorship election.
Also, the petition of the NNPP candidate in suit no, EPW/AKS/GOV/03/23, which bothered on certificate forgery allegations was dismissed as the case had since been decided in favor of governor Umo Eno at the Supreme Court.
The NNPP guber candidate in his arguments claimed that Gov. Eno was convicted by the Wuse Magistrate Court, Abuja, thereby robbing him of the qualification to have contested the March 18, 2023, governorship election.
He prayed the Tribunal to order that the election be cancelled, and a fresh one conducted within 90 days.
Under cross examination, the NNPP candidate admitted, when shown the enrolled order of the Wuse Magistrate Court repudiating its judgement orders, that he lacked knowledge of the existence of the order before his petition.
Counsel to the PDP and Pastor Umo Eno had noted in their submission that the NNPP petition is most unambitious, as the petitioner has not only failed to prove the criminal allegation of forgery, but also failed to state what he wants.
Reacting to the judgement, Counsel to the PDP, Barr Emmanuel Enoidem said the petitioners failed to prove that Pastor Umo Eno did not meet the constitutional requirements for office of the Governor, adding that most of their claims were pre-election matters which they could not also substantiate.
