The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division has dismissed appeals filed by Akwa Ibom State Governorship candidates of the Action Alliance, AA, Mr Akpan Jeremiah and that of the Accord Party, AP, Engr Emem Coffie challenging governor Umo Eno’s victory in the 2023 election for lack of merit.
The three justices of the appellate Court on Friday unanimously ruled that Umo Eno of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) remains the validly elected Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
Emem Coffie of AP had approached the Appeal Court, seeking it to upturn the judgement delivered earlier on the Election matter by the Akwa Ibom Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in his favour.
During the Hearing, Counsel to the appellants (Coffie and his party), argued that his client deserves to be declared the Governor as other candidates were not qualified to contest the 2023 election.
But the lead Counsel to Governor Umo Eno, Paul Usoro,(SAN) the Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kolapo Kolade,(SAN) in their separate submissions noted that the appellant who claimed 800 polling units recorded infractions, failed to identify the 800 units and to bring witnesses from any of the said polling units to testify.
Counsel to the PDP, Mofesomo Oyetibo, said, “Every evidence they gave, amounted to hearsay and that is why the lower court dismissed the case,”
In his Appeal, filed against the 15th September judgment at the lower court, Akpan Abraham of the Action Alliance described as unlawful the exclusion of his party by INEC.
Similarly, the Respondents in their separate briefs urged the court to discount the appeal by AA as an abuse of the court process.
The Respondents also argued that the suit constitutes a pre-election matter concerning internal party disputes, which the party itself failed to resolve before the elections.
Delivering judgement on Friday, the Appellate Court in Lagos upheld the arguments of the Respondents and dismissed the case for lack of merit.
Appeal Court however reserved judgement in the Appeal brought before it by the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress,( APC) Mr Akanimo Udofia and the candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, after listening to arguments of the parties.
The court said the date to deliver its judgment on both appeals would be communicated to the parties involved in the election matter.