Akwa Ibom guber tribunal dismisses NNPP, ADC petitions against Gov Eno

<p>The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has dismissed petitions brought before it by the candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Arc. Ezekiel Nyaetok, as well as the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Senator John James Akpan Udoedehe for lacking in merit.</p>, <p>Nyaetok of the ADC sought the disqualification of Pastor Umo Eno alleging that he was convicted by a Magistrate Court in Abuja, and that having been convicted, all votes that accrued to him during the March 18 elections ought to be nullified.</p>, <p>He also challenged other candidates who scored more votes than him, alleging that they were handicapped by litigation which hampered their eligibility to participate in the election.</p>, <p>But the chairman of the panel, Justice Adekunle Adeleye in his judgement ruled that the same magistrate court presided by Emeka Iyama, delivered a judgment, nullifying its earlier conviction of Pastor Umo Eno and that once a judgement is nullified, it ceases to exist.</p>, <p>The tribunal also held that Nyaetok’s petition lacked merit as the petitioner was not able to establish one polling unit in which there was non compliance with the electoral law in the March 18 governorship election.</p>, <p>Also, the petition of the NNPP candidate in suit no, EPW/AKS/GOV/03/23, which bothered on certificate forgery allegations was dismissed as the case had since been decided in favor of governor Umo Eno at the Supreme Court.</p>, <p>The NNPP guber candidate in his arguments claimed that Gov. Eno was convicted by the Wuse Magistrate Court, Abuja, thereby robbing him of the qualification to have contested the March 18, 2023, governorship election.</p>, <p>He prayed the Tribunal to order that the election be cancelled, and a fresh one conducted within 90 days.</p>, <p>Under cross examination, the NNPP candidate admitted, when shown the enrolled order of the Wuse Magistrate Court repudiating its judgement orders, that he lacked knowledge of the existence of