2023: Appeal Court restores Akanimo Udofia as the candidate of the APC in Akwa Ibom State.
The Evangelist
January 19, 2023
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has set aside the judgement of a Federal High Court, Uyo, which nullified the nomination of Akanimo Udofia as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State for the 2023 election.
The lower court had on 14 November 2022 nullified the election of Mr Udofia as the APC candidate and barred him from participating in a fresh primary which it ordered.
The case was instituted by a former aide to President Mohammadu Buhari, Ita Enang, who was an aspirant in the 26 May 2022 governorship primary of the APC in Akwa Ibom.
Delivering judgement on Thursday on the appeal filed by Mr Udofia, the appellate court held that the Federal High Court in Uyo wrongly assumed jurisdictions to entertain the case by Mr Enang contrary to provisions of Section 97 and 98 of the Sheriffs Act, Channels television reported.
The three-person panel of the appellate court therefore unanimously set aside the 14 November 2022 judgement on the grounds that the lower court lacked jurisdiction.
The Appeal Court reportedly allowed the appeal by the APC against Augustine Akpan, who had challenged the result of the APC governorship primary election held in November last year.
The appellate court by this judgement has restored Akanimo Udofia as the candidate of the APC in Akwa Ibom State.
