*As President Buhari ex-aide Senator It’s Enang loses out
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday declared Akanimo Asuquo Udofia the rightful governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress ,APC, Akwa-Ibom State candidate for next March general election.
His rival and former Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly, Senator Ita Enang lost in the battle for the Governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday evening upheld that the primary election of the party which produced Akanimo Udofia as the Gov’ship flag bearer of APC in Akwa Ibom was properly held and the candidate who won the majority of vote was qualified to contest.
A Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Capital had in November last year in a judgment favoured Enang and declared the primary as null and void. However the Appeal Court voided the lower court decision and set it aside.
The judge, Agatha Okeke had on November 14 last year ordered the APC to conduct a fresh governorship primary within two weeks and barred Udofia from participating in the new primary.
However, the Court of Appeal in its decision delivered by Justice Mohammed Idris held that the Federal High Court acted without jurisdiction when it nullified the APC’S primary election.
The Appellate Court in a unanimous decision held that the primary election being an internal affairs of the APC ought not to have been adjudicated upon by the High Court.
Consequently, the appeal filed by APC was allowed for been meritorious while the arguments of Enang were dismissed for being unmeritorious.
The Appeal Court granted the four reliefs sought by the appellant, including the prayer that directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise him as the rightful governorship of APC in Akwa-Ibom State.
Other Justices on the panel of Appeal Court were Elfreda Williams – Dawodu who presided and Danlami Senchi.