The All Progressives Congress (APC choice )’s of Akanimo Udofia as its candidate for governor of Akwa Ibom State has been declared invalid by a Federal High Court in Uyo.
The APC was mandated to hold a new governorship primary within 14 days by Judge Agatha Okeke.
Ita Enang, a former senator, filed the lawsuit on his behalf, claiming that he was the APC candidate in Akwa Ibom who had been duly elected.
In a ruling issued on Monday, Justice Okeke concurred with Mr. Enang’s contention and determined that Mr. Udofia was not an APC member since he did not take part in all phases of the election of the party’s governorship candidate.
Before joining the APC, Mr. Udofia, a prosperous businessman, was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and had purchased nomination forms to run in the PDP’s governorship primary in Akwa Ibom.
To the dismay of many party members and supporters, he received the APC governorship ticket in the state thanks to the influence of the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio.
According to Justice Okeke, Mr. Udofia did not comply with the election law’s requirement that he have been an APC member for at least 30 days prior to being nominated. In addition, the waiver Mr. Udofia allegedly obtained from the APC was not signed by “any known persons.”
The court ruled that Mr. Udofia should not participate in the APC’s new Akwa Ibom governorship primary.
Mr. Enang, a former special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, expressed his gratitude to God for the ruling on Monday afternoon.
“I appreciate the judiciary, the Electoral Act, and the Akwa Ibom people. I’d want to thank my brother Akan Udofia as well. Naturally, the APC is active in this state, and we will prevail in the election, he added.
“Akpabio is backing YPP governor candidate”
Meanwhile, according to three APC insiders, Mr. Akpabio, the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, is endorsing Bassey Albert of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the 2023 Akwa Ibom governorship race.
According to the sources, Mr. Akpabio and Mr. Albert have an understanding that the APC supporters in the Akwa Ibom North West District, where the former minister is running for Senate, will support the YPP in the governorship election, while Mr. Albert will mobilize the YPP supporters in the district to support the APC in the senatorial election, enabling Mr. Akpabio to defeat his main rival, PDP candidate Emmanuel Enoidem.
There is a mutual understanding between Messrs. Akpabio and Albert, according to two people close to Mr. Albert.
According to the two sources, Akpabio and Albert have urged the YPP senatorial candidate in the Akwa Ibom North West District, Emmanuel Ekon, not to run for office in order to avoid confusing or distracting the district’s voters.
However, Jackson Udom, Mr. Akpabio’s spokesperson, rejected the matter as idle chitchat.
“That is not anything I know. Beer parlour gossip is what that is known as, he remarked on Friday.
