Supreme Court affirms Eno as Akwa Ibom gov

The Supreme Court has dismissed three separate appeals seeking the nullification of the election of Akwa Ibom State governor, Umo Eno of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on account of alleged certificate forgery.

The petitions of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Young Progressive Party (YPP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) were all dismissed by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji.

The petitions by the APC and its governorship candidate, Akanimo Udofia, YPP and its gubernatorial candidate, Akpan Bassey as well as that of NNPP and its governorship candidate, John Udoedehe were thrown out by Abba-Aji upon their withdrawals.

Lead counsel to the respective parties withdrew their separate appeals following the hints from the court’s panel of justices that they have no merit.

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Counsels in the matters had made spirited attempts to convince the apex court that Emo Eno Bassey and Bassey Eno Emo were not the same and as such that the governor allegedly forged his Secondary School Certificate.

Their arguments, especially on the forgery allegations did not go down well with the justices who queried the lawyers on whether the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) gave evidence to establish the criminal allegations.

Upon admission that WAEC did not testify in the matter, the lawyers conceded and separately withdrew the appeals.

The Court of Appeal in Lagos had in November last year affirmed the election of Governor Umo Eno in the governorship election held on March 18, 2023.

The appellate court in its judgment dismissed three separate appeals, filed against the governor’s election.

While affirming the September 28, 2023 judgments of the election petition tribunal, the three-member panel of justices headed by Festus Obande dismissed the appeal brought by the governorship candidate of the YPP, and his party against the INEC, Eno, and the PDP.

Obande also granted judgments in favour of the governor against the appeals of the governorship candidate of the NNPP, John Udoedehe, as well as Akanimo Udofia, of the APC.

The appellate court declared in the unanimous judgments that all three appeals lacked merit.